


Force Sick

by Jedi Days and Jedi Nights (AcademySenseiIruka)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence - Order 66, Clone Trooper Culture (Star Wars), Clones, Cuddle Pile, Depression, Faked Death, Fix-It of Sorts, Grief/Mourning, Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Jedi Culture & Tradition (Star Wars), M/M, Mandalorian Culture (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Politics, Protective clones, Sick Fic, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, The Jedi survive order 66, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:01:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26527888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcademySenseiIruka/pseuds/Jedi%20Days%20and%20Jedi%20Nights
Summary: When Obi-wan gets sick, he contemplates his worth without the force. Trying to help, the clones learn a bit more about what it means to be a Jedi... They don't like what they hear.
Relationships: 212th Attack Battalion & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CC-2224 | Cody/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & CT-6116 | Kix
Comments: 534
Kudos: 870





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kitcatkim3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitcatkim3/gifts).



> I wrote this when I was really sick and I did my best to describe my symptoms but ended up taking creative license when I was editing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer because the story now has 100% more Beta readers... so one. thank you so so so much to my very pacient beta, kitcatkim3. I have some terible wrighting habbits and you have been invaluable towards making this a cohearent story.
> 
> So thank you for all your work.

Obi-wan eased himself down into his chair with a grateful sigh. Their mission was simple on the datapad but in practice it had proved to be a bit more taxing. They had spent three days trudging through marshlands to reach a small settlement where he would act as negotiator for two rival factions. Both parties had set aside their past and agreed to come together for mutual advantage. The peace accords were signed quickly and within a day, Obi-wan and the company of 212, found themselves making the three-day journey back to their ship. If local customs had allowed for ships to enter the airspace above the customary meeting place, the mission would have only lasted a day, not a week.

Even so, he knew he shouldn't have felt as weary as he did.

"Sir? are you feeling alright?" Cody asked as his eyes slipped shut.

Obi-wan took a moment to ponder the question. He didn't feel ill, just unusually exhausted. "I'm sure it's nothing." He assured, ignoring the sharp twinge of doubt radiating off his commander.

"Sir, there is a message for you from the planet Jakupo." Eyes still shut, Obi-wan was too tired to figure out who was speaking through the force.

"Very well." He agreed, getting up to make his way to the bridge. The people of Jakupo were very much a people of tradition and as such, he'd been expecting some sort of 'thank you' and goodbye message before they left orbit.

As he entered the bridge, he was met with the pale blue visage of the leaders of the formerly warring peoples. Now they stood side by side as allies. Obi-wan didn't bother to humble himself as he felt a swell of pride as he thought of how well their people would work together in the future. So often this war had brought out the worst of people, but this, standing in front of him, was an example of the very best.

"General Kenobi. You have certainly lived up to your reputation. We thank you for the honor of overseeing these negotiations."

Obi-wan gave a polite bow at their words. "On the contrary, it was your people that made this all possible. My part in this was insignificant compared to your own determination to see peace restored to your world. It was indeed a pleasure to witness the beginning of this new and prosperous age for your people."

"We thank you for your kind words, General. But your risk in coming was no small favor."

"Risk?" Obi-wan stifled a surprised laugh. "I assure you, I risked nothing in coming out this way." Obi-wan paused as the two diplomats looked nervously to each other.

"Master Jedi, you are aware our marshes are home to the Illum Cardum, are you not?"

"I'm sorry, I'm unfamiliar with it." The two diplomats paled at his words.

"The Illum Cardum is a plant that feeds off force energy. It's spores, when inhaled, drain force-sensitives and leave them weak and sick."

In a whirl, Cody took over the room, barking orders and gathering information.

"We thought you knew." The diplomat's exclaimed as Obi-wan was swiftly ushered out of the room towards the medbay. "We thought you knew." he heard again as the doors shut behind him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%

"I'm sure it's nothing," Obi-wan assured confidently, trying to ease the discomfort that hung heavily around the medic drawing his blood. The vial flashed with a splash of red inside as the cylindrical tube was filled.

Kix spared a moment to shoot his general a glare as he removed the tube and began gently rocking the samples back and forth. "Why didn't you bring your symptoms up earlier?"

"Because there was nothing to bring up." Obi-wan shrugged. "Yes, I was a bit tired on our mission but I felt better during negotiations. When I started getting weary again, I just assumed it was my lack of sleep catching up with me."

"What you mean to say," Kix snapped as he removed the catheter from his arm and applied a bandage. "is you are so used to being exhausted, that this was completely normal for you."

Obi-wan forced a smile at the medics' sharp tone. "Come now, be reasonable. All I need a bit of rest and I'll be back to normal."

Kix tensed at his words and a sneer caught at the edge of his lip but instead of responding, Kix took a deep breath and Obi-wan was surprised to feel the irritation leaking off Kix, morph into something much sadder. When the medic opened his eyes again, he was much calmer, more subdued.

For the first time, Obi-wan got the sense this could really be something serious.

"Sir," Kix said gently, like he was talking to a wounded shiny. "We are still gathering information from Jakupo and Cody is informing the council of our situation as we speak. But as of yet, we have no real idea of what we are dealing with." Kix hesitated, his lips pursing.

Obi-wan frowned in response, "Kix?" he prodded, sounding a bit like a wounded shiny to his own ears.

"Sir, from what we've been told by the people of Jakupo, the Illum Cardum has the ability to turn a force-sensitive into a force-null."

Obi-wan swallowed nervously. "and since I still have the force, that won't happen." 'right', he thought as the first twinge of worry seeped into him.

"The pollen builds up in a person's system. Repeated or prolonged exposure can lead to a complete collapse of a person's ability to access and use the force. It generally happens days to even weeks after initial exposure." Kix brought up a hand and rested it on Obi-wan's elbow as he continued. "We will do everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen sir, but you need to understand that this can also lead to a complete shutdown of the physical body as well."

Obi-wan's eyes widened at his words. "You're saying this could kill me?"

"We won't let that happen." A stern voice interrupted. Obi-wan snapped his head up to see his commander standing tall in the doorway, his jaw set and eyes on fire.

"He's right sir." Kix said patting his arm but Obi-wan didn't turn to look at him. He couldn't. Cody looked so firm and fierce where he stood, and yet the force was saturated with his own fear. He could sense Kix as well, but Cody didn't even feel like he was in the room.

"... We won't let that happen." Kix was saying, but maybe they wouldn't have a choice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan continues to get worse...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Attention those who have already read chapter 1: I have added a new ending to that chapter and it doubles the chapter length. I recommend reading the second half of chapter 1 to better understand the rest of the story. (Or not, it's up to you.)
> 
> Special shout out to my new beta reader who was crucial in bridging the gap I had between chapters due to a writing block. Thank you, kitcatkim3. You are amazing!

Kix was understandably unfamiliar with the nuances of 'Force Sickness', as the people of Jakupo called it. Kriff, even Obi-wan was hearing about it for the first time. But Obi-wan was still impressed by how, day in and day out, the dutiful medic continued to dive deep into the intimidating mountain of information he'd been given. He'd watch from his bed as Kix poured over document after document, both form Jakupo, and the Temple. Often, Obi-wan would wake to hear the muffled voices of a conference call to the temple for consultation.

Despite Obi-wan's best efforts, he'd found himself slipping off more and more. Helplessly drifting in and out of conversations with his commander or medic. At one point, he heard the council had recommended the entire Negotiator be put in quarantine and given a thorough deep cleaning, just as a precaution. His thoughts fogged over with exhaustion before he could find out more.

As the days progressed, Obi-wan realized he was struggling not just to remain awake but with the most basic grasp of the force. Exercises he'd been taught in his most early days as an initiate, were becoming a struggle.

He didn't know what day it was when he woke up and it wasn't there at all. He just woke up and realized he was completely alone, in every sense of the word.

And as more days passed, Obi-wan felt as tho his head had been stuffed with bantha fur. He felt sick, tho he wasn't about to admit it, least of all to himself. He wanted this to be over, he needed this to be over. Instead, his limbs lay heavily at his side and his eyes felt vaulted shut. But he was fine. A bit of lethargy perhaps but that didn't mean he was getting sick. Certainly, he wasn't getting worse...

Footsteps approached his bed but he didn't move. A cold device rubbed briefly across his forehead.

"Sorry general. " Kix said after a heartbeat. "Looks like you're finally exhibiting the physical symptoms, not just the force related ones."

Obi-wan frowned as he heard the medic comm Cody to give him an update on his condition.

His eyes slipped closed and he was asleep before the brief conversation was finished.

Even on days when Obi-wan managed to stay awake longer, it wasn't a pleasant experience. A burning sensation had taken up residence behind his eyes, simmering and promising to grow as it occasionally spiked into a full-fledged headache. Dizziness was also becoming a common occurrence for him and it resulted in powerful bouts of nausea that'd send Kix flying in to help him sit up to breathe. From that point on, whenever he woke, there was always someone at his bedside.

Despite how welcomed the company was, the inconvenience of being trapped in a near-constant state of sleep meant he was hardly awake to enjoy it. Instead, it left him irritable and frustrated, though in truth, the irritability and frustration was just a mask for the fear that he was losing this battle. He soon discovered that fear was an incredibly taxing emotion. It'd drained him quickly, burning greedily though his last energy reserves and would leave him far weaker than before.

Everything continued to compound, weighing on his nerves in ways he'd not experienced before. Without access to the force, he found it near impossible to surrender his emotions as he was accustomed to doing. He was left with hollow comfort as the now-familiar sensation of being afraid, continued to ground down his naturally hopeful disposition like sandpaper. Despite his fervent attempts at meditation, fear was steadily festering inside him, building it'self into a panic.

His life had dwindled to two activities, fear and sleep.

At one point, he lay just on the cusp of sleep when he heard a soft shift of fabric. Slowly, he peeled his sleep sticky eyes open, unsure of what time it was. A gummy film of fatigue and sickness clouded the edges of his vision and he lazily blinked the world into focus. He rolled his head to the side, sluggishly looking around in the lowlight of the medbay. The dimmed lighting didn't sting his eyes but without the force, he couldn't navigate his surroundings and for a moment he forgot where he was. Everything was foreign to him. Dizziness overtook him as he scanned the room, prompting an unsolicited groan.

"Sir?" Cody's familiar low voice permeated his muddled thoughts and he pinched his eyes tighter before cautiously opening them again.

"Kriff." He grumbled under his breath as the room briefly swam around him.

"Still dizzy?" The commander asked sympathetically.

Obi-wan gave a disoriented nod that may have changed directions midway through. He wasn't sure.

"It's alright, sir, I understand." A warm hand cupped his shoulder and for a blissful moment, Obi-wan felt grounded. The stabilizing presence didn't restore his use of the force but the contact allowed for a sturdy knowledge that someone was with him. If he had the force, this connection would have been automatic. Like blinking or breathing. He relaxed under the contact but as the commander moved away, the connection broke. Before he could stop it, an undignified whimper escaped him. They both froze at the sound.

"Sir?"

Kriff, he thought with a sigh. He licked his chapped lips lazily before responding softly. "I'm sorry. It's nothing commander." He hoped Cody would continue on his way but as expected he remained. What was unexpected was the tentative hand that returned to his shoulder.

"Cody," Obi-wan whispered tiredly before clearing his throat. His tone held a trace of rebuke and the commander removed his hand quickly. Looking his commander over, Obi-wan immediately felt a stab of guilt.

He didn't want to push Cody away, he just felt his commander had better use for his time.

He sighed closing his heavy eyes. Cody deserved better than this tho. He was owed an explanation but Cody beat him to it.

"Sir, Kix, and the Temple are optimistic about your recovery. I know things seem bleak but even if you no longer have the force, the Jedi will take care of you." No doubt Cody believed that Obi-wan thought bitterly. "You are a high general, surely there would be a place for you within the order, no matter the outcome-"

"Commander," Obi-wan snapped, unable to listen to Cody's naive optimism. "Cody, If I lost an arm or went blind, I would still be a Jedi. But a Jedi without the force is nothing. At present, I am without the force and therefore, no longer a Jedi and by extension, not your general." He didn't intend for his words to come out so harsh but his unfiltered emotions were increasingly difficult to manage. So he allowed himself this small tantrum.

"A Jedi's worth is tied to the force. As cruel as that may sound, our place in the order is contingent upon our ability to access it." His words and the truth of them stung, but facts were facts. "If things remain as they are, I will lose the bonds that join me to my lineage. Without the force, I will lose everything." He confessed, finally opening his blurry eyes to see how Cody was reacting to his words. Normally, he would have been able to feel it in the force but now he had to guess based on facial expressions. Something he wasn't very good at considering he'd always had the guiding presence of the force to rely on.

Cody looked down at him, his mouth and eyes expressed something sad, pity perhaps? He wasn't sure.

Obi-wan swallowed a growing lump in his throat as he struggled to continue. To explain to his commander what he had lost and what he could still lose. "The force is a bond that ties masters and padawans together. Our family, for lack of a better word, is connected by the force itself. And even more so, the force is a pivotal part of who we are. An essential part of our identity. It defines how we experience the world. It warns us in times of danger, through it we release our emotions and attain serenity. It is a part of every breath and heartbeat and we feel it's presence in everything." He could feel the change in his tone as he went on, thick with longing. He shut his eyes as if he could block out the rolling swell of grief.

Then slowly, gentle fingers began carding through his hair. "So, the force isn't just something you use for battle?"

"No." Obi-wan relaxed under the soothing contact. "As Jedi, we use the force constantly. It's not just some magical force we wield to lift and throw objects. It's how we interact with our environment. It's a sense, like touch, smell, and sight. Without it, nothing... feels real." An unfamiliar level of embarrassment overwhelmed him and his voice dipped quiet, becoming uncharacteristically shy. "I don't feel you, Cody." He tried to express in his voice how isolating the experience of not having the force was. "I don't feel anything."

Cody was silent for a moment. Absorbing what was said and perhaps, what was not.

"Sir," he said, leaning close so that his breath warmed his general's ear. He opened his mouth to speak but at the last moment, he pulled back. "I'm going to get Kix for you, alright? Maybe he can give you something for the dizziness and nausea." The commander offered, his voice coated in something Obi-wan still couldn't name without help from the force. "I'll be right back, I-I promise." He stressed the word 'promise' in a way that left Obi-wan without a doubt he'd be back.

With one last brush of his hair, the contact was gone. Once more Obi-wan was left to the empty blank world of dizzying nothingness, completely devoid of any sense of real presence of life.

He tried to reach out to the force but was answered with another failure.

He tried to cast off the sense of abandonment and again, he failed.

He tried not to let it bother him, he failed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody and Obi-wan talk.

Obi-wan's head throbbed as he reached out into the force, on and on, he stretched. Searching and seeking for anything in the barren scape of what he once used as a way of centering himself. But now he was adrift. Unsure of how to find his way in or out of a maze with no walls. His frustration peaked as he attempted to conjure up the invisible bond he once harbored with his young padawan and... nothing.

His eyes slipped open and he stared listlessly at the muted gray ceiling of the medbay. He listened to Kix, tapping away on some datapad. In the hallway, he could just make out a muffled conversation between vod as they walked by. One laughed, followed by two more.

All his life, Obi-wan had staunchly believed that death or falling to the dark side was the worst that could happen to him. 'So foolishly unprepared' he thought. What an arrogant idiot he was...

A door swished open but Obi-wan shut his eyes like the coward he was and pretended to be asleep.

"How is he?" The new arrival whispered to his current guard. Kriff, he'd forgotten about them!

The wash of surprise gave way into a spike of irritation as he suddenly realized his mistake was due to the fact that all the vod held about as much depth as a piece of paper. Of course he didn't notice them. It pained him to see a resemblance between the vod and the lifeless B-1 battle droids, but they were equally blank to him.

"He's still sleeping, sir." They said but Obi-wan could just barely make out a soft shuffle of hand movements. The vod were signing to each other under the conversation. "Kix just gave him something for the dizziness."

"Alright, I'll take it from here, your dismissed." The new vod said.

With another swish of the door, his babysitter's were exchanged. Obi-wan did his best to keep his face from contorting into a scowl. As tired as he was it was easy enough despite how natural the expression was becoming for him.

Long moments passed and he had almost settled back to sleep when gentle fingers began carding through the ends of his hair. A part of him wanted to pull away. To slap the hand off him. To grab and twist and break. But not for any real motive beyond how satisfying the act would be. He didn't want to harm any of the vod but something inside him relished the idea of fighting. His teeth clenched and relaxed as he did his best to calm his shortened temper.

A shadow passed over his closed eyes as his guard leaned in. The fingers becoming a bit bolder as they pressed gently against his head, massaging a thumb into a stress point at his temple. "I know your asleep sir." They whispered against his ear. "but if you were awake, I'd want you to know, that no matter what happens, you will not lose us." The tender whisper tugged at something vulnerable inside him but Obi-wan remained still and unmoved.

"The bonds between the Jedi may well be contingent upon the force but the vod have no such restriction." They went on, seemingly not noticing as Obi-wan failed to suppress a slight hitch in his breath as the words prodded a deep loss within him. "You are our Jedi, and if the Jedi themselves don't want you, then we do. No matter what, Obi-wan. You will always have a place with us."

Even closed, his eyes pricked with tears and after a steadying breath, he slowly opened his eyes. With or without the force, Obi-wan could tell Cody apart from all his brothers. At least he could when they were this close to one another.

Obi-wan watched his commander with eyes dulled and glazed over with fever. "How can you say that?" He asked. "Without the force, I'd be of no use to any of you." The patient cooled hand continued to brush along his head as he continued. "I have grown so accustomed to using the force in so many ways that without it, I'd be at best an incompetent fighter."

"Why do you say that, Sir?" Cody asked, his voice just as soft as his eyes.

"Because I use it to jump, to remain awake, to regulate my body temperature. A thousand every day little things."

"Then we will teach you to do otherwise." Cody offered. "There is not a vod in this army who would consider doing different."

Obi-wan sighed, closing his eyes. "Cody." He whispered sadly. "You're not understanding. I can't fight without the force."

"Then don't. You can act in Admiral Yulanda's place. I know you're plenty capable and the men already know and respect you."

"Stop saying that!" He shouted, his unregulated anger lashing out even surprising himself but Cody remained calm. Still gently petting his head like he was soothing a particularly nasty lothcat. And perhaps that was an apt comparison.

"I-I'm sorry Commander." He said, eyes drifting to an empty corner of the ceiling. "But you see, without the force I am unpredictable. I have lost my primary means of coping with stress, fear, anxiety, anger and and I can't-"

"Then we will teach you." The confidence in Cody's voice drew Obi-wan's gaze back again and for a moment, Obi-wan allowed his commanders' optimism to affect him. But the dark reality was Cody's loyalty would change as soon as a new Jedi general was assigned to him.

A new loss blossomed inside of him at the thought and it was almost enough to make him physically choke. Obi-wan turned away to stubbornly glare at the ceiling. Cody would replace him soo enough.

Cody sighed and tried a new tactic.

"Would you call us incompetent?"

"What? No!" Obi-wan said immediately looking back, his eyebrows pinched towards each other sadly. "How could you think that Cody?" He didn't bother trying to lessen the hurt in his voice.

"You said without the force you would be an incompetent fighter but we don't have the force." The commander pointed out. "If you can not abide us being called incompetent, then why do you allow yourself to think that way of yourself? You would defend us in a heartbeat yet you poison yourself with those same words so willingly?"

It was like someone had shown a light on a dark part of himself that never saw light. Obi-wan flinched reflexively but Cody reached up with his other hand to move the formers Jedi's head back so they could see each other again. Then he went in for the kill. "You would not tolerate someone mistreating us, why do you allow and even excuse, the same mistreatment of yourself?"

"It's different." Obi-wan protested weakly. White spots began flitting across his vision and he swallowed thickly before continuing. "You are all capable fighters. Skilled and-"

"We are skilled because we have learned. We have practiced and improved with years of training and effort. I'm not saying it will be easy but I am saying you won't do it alone. We will be there every step of the way. And what better teacher could you ask for than us? To be taught by those who care for you as one of our own because that is what you are." Cody stroked his thumb along Obi-wan's cheek, catching a wayward tear that escaped. "You are one of us."

"But I'm not." Obi-wan admitted, his voice wavering under the grief he was ill-equipped to handle. The raw emotion, so consuming, he didn't know how to deal with it. He reached up, grasping at Cody who grasped him back just as tightly. "I'm not your vod. I'm not your Jedi. I'm I'm, a broken and useless shell of what I was, of what I should be. How could you ever consid-."

"You must speak kinder of yourself," Cody pleaded, interrupting his words. "From the moment you became our general we chose you as our own. This is not a fickle bond that breaks at the first inconvenience. This is a permanent bond that lasts for all our lifetimes. You are ours." Cody repeated, climbing up into the bed so he could cuddle his distressed Jedi. "We, as the product of Mandaliriean tradition, do not abandon one of our own." He whispered. "Say it, you are one of us."

Obi-was hiccuped and gasped struggling to regain his composure. His embarrassment was softened by the gentle brushing that cupped the back of his head.

"Say it cyare, please," Cody whispered hotly against his ear.

"You, you mean even if you get another Jedi-?" He couldn't finish the sentence, to afraid he'd trigger the rational part of Cody that would realize the promise he was about to make was to the wrong Jedi. His real Jedi would be assigned to him any day now. He was sure of it.

Instead, Cody swore, pulling away with alarm to stare at Obi-wan. "Did you really think we'd replace you?"

"Why wouldn't you?" he said.

"Kriff." And Cody hugged him tighter, almost painfully but for once Obi-wan felt secure. There was honest desperation in Cody's grasp and even Obi-wan's self-deprecation couldn't dispute it. "I swear Obi-wan." Cody growled in his ear. "Once we splice your files, I'm going find out who or what made you think such things." He stopped to give Obi-wan's head a gentle kiss. "You will always be ours. Nothing the Jedi say or do or order can interfere with that. I promise you, you are ours."

They stayed there hugging for long moments. Both their heartbeats needing time to slow. Finally, Cody pulled back, gently brushing the tears from Obi-wan's face.

As he did, the room around Obi-wan began to tilt and sway around him. Something must have shown on his face as Cody tensed in response.

"Do you want me to get Kix for you?" He asked, adjusting slightly so he could lift Obi-wan into a sitting position if he needed to vomit.

"No, I'm fine." Obi-wan assured, blinking slowly. "Thank you, Cody." he whispered, closing his eyes so he could focus on breathing. The room suddenly lurched underneath him and a fresh wave of nausea churned in his stomach.

Cody's hands brushed along his warm forehead, causing the commander to frown. "Are you sure?"

Obi-wan sagged tiredly against Cody instead of answering. His head buzzed with so many thoughts and fears and ideas, the toll of which, zapped him of the limited energy he had. All he could manage was a weak attempt to croak his commander's name.

"Yes, sir. I'm here." Cody said, turning to signal Kix to come over.

"No," He mumbled weekly, not wanting to bother the medic. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are, sir." Came the pithy response. Cody ran a trembling hand along the side of his face as Kix's footsteps neared.

Obi-wan pinched his eyes closed as a particularly vicious wave of pain sliced him through his skull. Even the softest beam of light was beginning to scald his brain and an ache along his neck and back pulsated like a heartbeat.

He panted through the spike of sudden pain.

"Sir?" Came a new quiet voice.

"I'm fine." He insisted again.

A cold object stroked against his forehead but disappeared as fast as it'd come. He tried to reach into the force to identify what was happening but before he could be ignored, he lost all focus and gave up.

"His fever is getting higher." Someone warned, Kix perhaps?

"Should we move him to the bacta tank?" Cody asked, his tone laced with the sharp-edge of an emotion Obi-wan couldn't name. Cody pulled him closer as tho afraid to let him go.

"No, I'm fine." Obi-wan mumbled before passing out.

The next time he woke up he was being lifted out of a bacta tank. The cool water running freely off him onto a vod who ran a dry towel against his damp skin.

"Are you with us sir?" Someone asked, rubbing against his dripping hair.

He offered up a langued grunt in reply.

Obi-wan did his best to sit up as more towels contributed to drying him off. Groggily, he slumped against the shoulder of the vod in front of him.

Obi-wan shivered as a gentle hand brushed his cheek. "I know it's against the rules for a Jedi to be loved completely by another. That attachments are forbidden," someone whispered. "but can a Jedi be the one who is loved unconditionally?"

Obi-wan fished around his foggy mind for an answer. It didn't seem to break any rules. "doesn't seem fair." he pointed out before reaching to tug himself closer to the warm body in front of him before slipping back to sleep.

%%%%%%%%%%%%

Hours after removing Obi-wan from the bacta tank, Cody found himself smiling like a giddy tooka, as he lay tangled up in the limbs of his general.

It's amazing how careful you had to be around Jedi, he thought. Jedi were capable of such fierce power and yet, were incredibly fragile. Hearts so easily broken because of some ancient Code that wouldn't allow for the basic human need of attachment. Despite how happily independent Obi-wan often seemed, once his connection to the force was gone, he became incredibly clingy. (Much to the amusement and endearment of his brothers.) Even in an unconscious state after his bacta bath and two-week-long sickness, Obi-wan had developed an impressive ability of latching on to any vod he could get his hands on. He was like a plant reaching towards the sun. Perhaps the force provided some bond that force-nulls gain from each other? Perhaps the bond Cody had with his brothers was more akin to what Obi-wan shared with the force?

But Cody highly doubted that was the case. From all the information the Vode had gathered on the force, it seemed this was only a philosophical point of view. Not something grounded in science.

While Obi-wan's head still felt warm, even after the bacta bath, Cody was encouraged it no longer burned under his palm.

A blissful smile crossed Obi-wan's face as the commander stroked his Jedi soothingly. He paused for a moment to let his hand rest on his brow.

The barest little sliver of blue eyes peeked open, only briefly, before the Jedi closed them and snuggled closer. "Codi." He mumbled, his words tapering off into a contented hum.

"Yes, general," Cody whispered fondly. "Good morning, how are you feeling?"

Obi-wan scrunched up his nose as he yawned. He blinked lazily before seeming to take in his surroundings.

"Cody?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes general?" Cody said with a warm casual smile. Obi-wan straightened a bit, looking around, taking in the fact that he was in the middle of the 212 cuddle pile. Cody noted his eyes were brighter. No longer covered with a veil of sickness and he looked endearingly confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter at least three different times. Not even joking and I'm not including edits. OG ch3 was going to be the end, but now I'm working in ch5. lol


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan wakes up in the middle of a cuddle pile.

Obi-wan looked around at the dozens of bright-eyed vod, huddled together in what appeared to be a 'cuddle pile'. That in itself was not unusual, but Obi-wan finding himself at the center was.

"Cody? What's going on?" He asked, bewildered.

"How are you feeling sir?" Cody asked, ignoring his question.

"I'm fi-"

"How are you 'really' feeling." The commander corrected emphatically. Obi-wan shut his mouth but couldn't hold back the miffed look on his face. Tho, judging by the commander's gentle grin, it must have come off as more of a pout.

"I'm fine." Obi-wan insisted.

"I'll be the judge of that." Kix said, slipping through the maze of bodies with the expertise only a vod possessed.

Deciding it was easier than fighting both his medic and commander, Obi-wan lay back down, snuggling comfortably into the warm bodies that surrounded him.

Kix passed a device across his forehead and smiled down at what he saw. "His fever has broken." He announced to the surrounding 212, who instantly perked up at his words. "Seems to me the worst is over but I'd still like to monitor you closely for the next couple of days, just to be sure." The medic informed them all before he began running a few more tests.

Obi-wan tried his best to sit obediently as Kix poked and prodded him, and again as he was asked to do seemingly nonsensical things like breathe deep for a few seconds or try to touch his nose. Obi-wan blushed a bit as he began to feel like he was giving the most ridiculous performance of his life for his troops. For their part, the 212 all just watched him intently, as though he was the greatest holo video they'd ever seen. After a while, it was only the doe-eyed grin from the youngest of shinys' that kept Obi-wan from complaining or refusing to follow the medic's instructions.

Eventually, Kix took pity on him and was satisfied enough with the results that he curled up in the gap between two vod at Obi-wan's shoulder and officially joined the cuddle pile.

"Alright, what's going on?" Obi-wan said, raising a suspicious brow to his commander. The 212 had cuddle piles often enough but he himself had never participated.

"Well, Sir." Cody began unabashedly. "This is an intervention."

"A what?" Obi-wan asked with an unimpressed scowl.

Undeterred, Cody reached up and pulled the general up against him. Obi-wan, accustomed to following orders, as displayed by Kix, followed along.

"Sir," Cody began softly, his eyes dark and serious. "The entire 212 wants you to know something. We assumed you knew this a long time ago but apparently we weren't blunt enough." Cody rolled over so he could lean over his supine Jedi as he continued. "We want you to know that you will always have us, no matter what happens."

"I don't understand." Obi-wan slowly admitted, looking around as if expecting someone to jump out and say 'got cha'.

Cody made a long-suffering sigh before putting both hands on either side of Obi-wan's face, cupping the back of his head before resting his forehead against his general's. "Your place with us does not depend on your ability to use the force. Regardless of if the Jedi want you or not, we do. You are one of us. You are ours just as we are yours." Cody pressed, holding Obi-wan's head in place. "We will never abandon you."

Obi-wan froze, staring wide-eyed at his commander. His entire life had been an exercise in abandonment. Obi-wan had to beg to get a master and even then, Qui-gon had given up on him multiple times. It was fitting that one of the last things his Master ever did was abandon him for another padawan. Tho he never spoke of it, Obi-wan carried a scar from each rejection... And the most recent was perhaps the most distressing, the force. Even that had abandoned him. How could Cody offer something even the force could not?

Perhaps sensing his doubt, Cody scowled. Instinctively Obi-wan knew it was not directed at him but he flinched anyway.

He expected Cody would push him away and regroup but instead, he was pulled closer.

"You are not alone Obi-wan." he said, his voice soft and rich. "You haven't been awake when they've messaged but Anakin and Ahsoka have been messaging daily to ask after you. They miss you and worry over you just as we do. But I understand, Obi-wan. We've gone through your files," Cody admitted. "We understand why this is hard for you but please believe, you will always have us and Anakin and Ahsoka. You will not lose your lineage, no matter what happens." the words were hot against his ear as Cody hugged him. "And you will always have a place with us."

Obi-wan sighed, allowing himself a fleeting moment to considered what Cody was saying. He imagined his life among the vod. Dining with them, traveling with them and perhaps, even being a representative for them in the senate.

"We are patient." Cody whispered. "I'm not demanding that you change this long-held belief suddenly, even tho it is very troubling and harmful," Cody explained. "I'm not expecting you to trust us immediately. For now, just I want to hear you say it, for all the vod to hear." Cody pulled back to gently cup Obi-wan's face as tho it was something precious. "Say that you are one of us."

Obi-wan blinked up at him in confusion, glancing around at the surrounding vod. Some of the audience even nodding in encouragement.

"Please," Cody said again. "I need to hear you say it."

Obi-wan knew, that to admit belonging would be to invite attachment. Granted, that wasn't really an issue at the moment but it was still a staggering thing for a lifelong Jedi to consider. Still, if the clones were made for the Jedi and even independently vowed their allegiance to them... then isn't an attachment with them only furthering a commitment to the order? Technically?

It was a stretch and Obi-wan knew it. Yet, the Jedi and clones had the same goals to the republic. So there wouldn't be any real conflict and in turn, the clones would never interfere with the order. So, do the same restrictions apply?

It was a precarious edge he was walking on but the look of anticipatory trust on Cody's face eased some of his discomforts. Suddenly it occurred to him he was being chosen. That for once in his life, Obi-wan was wanted, maybe even needed. Not for what he could do, in fact, it was done in spite of it. Without his access to the force he was useless to them and yet, he was still chosen by Cody and the vod. It was baffling. They simply wanted him for who he was. He marveled at the impracticability of it all.

Coming to a decision, he nodded shyly. "I-I am one of you." He said hesitantly but smiled as he was rewarded by a smile from Cody.

"Again please."

"I am one of you." It felt like a vow. Something binding, like when he became a knight and swore to follow the code of the Jedi.

A wobbly smile graced Obi-wan's face as he sniffled. "I guess I'd really be the red-headed stepchild." He whispered softly, coaxing a brighter smile from his commander.

"It looks that way, Sir." Cody said, pulling him in again.

"I am one of you." he said again and Cody relaxed completely against him.

It was still a risk to trust, to fall headfirst into this promise of acceptance but Obi-wan couldn't help himself. He squeezed harder and let his fingers dance along his content commanders back and believed Cody's words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy these happy moments... they won't last. (but this will still have a happy ending)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cuddle pile continues. All this fluffy goodness, it'd be a shame if something... happened to it. (evil laughter)

Obi-wan's eyes were closed as he basked in the warmth and affectionate comradery of what it meant to be apart of the large gathering that was the vod cuddle pile.

He wasn't entirely sure who was where or what formation all the vod were in around him but he knew a heavy head used his leg as a pillow and a weight pressed against his back to suggest another vod curled behind him.

The only clone he knew the position of for certain, was Cody. His arm slung comfortably across Obi-wan's waist, limp in sleep. The same place it had been in when Obi-wan felt himself drift off the night before after his intervention. Obi-wan couldn't bring himself to pull away from where he was tucked up against the commander, so he didn't.

Instead, he allowed the morning fatigue to pull him under once more...

He was on the bridge of the Negotiator as a battle on a planet below waged on. Something wasn't right. He tried to get the attention of the vod around him, to warn them but they ignored him.

He couldn't find Cody...

Something had happened, an order had been given and Obi-wan found himself fleeing into a hallway. He was useless, helpless, and pathetic. Disaster was coming.

Execute order 66.

Obi-wan screamed but no one heard him, or at least no one cared. Death clawed at him, hunted him as a man in a black suit. Its breath was loud. Puffing out and sucking back in menacingly.

It pulled out a saber... Anakin's he realized, and a title wave of horror crashed against him as he witnessed the angry crimson glow fill the room as it was ignited.

Obi-wan backed away as the figure came closer and reached out towards him.

"-i-wan, wake up. Your dreaming."

Obi-was gasped coming to full wakefulness. He shivered and trembled and the arms around him released.

"Obi-wan, breath for me, ok?" A vod was saying and Obi-wan struggled to wrangle his fear back under his control.

"I-I'm."

"It's ok, just focus on breathing right now." The arms returned gradually, patiently soothing him. Obi-wan still trembled like a loose page caught in an air vent but a firm hand rubbed along his back, slowly coaxed him into a more calmed state. "That's it. It was just a dream. You're here, you're safe."

Obi-wan blinked owlishly up at Cody. "I'm sorry, commander. I didn't mean to, to." To what? what had he meant to do? What should he have done? Controlled his emotions without allowing them to control him?

"You have done nothing wrong, udesiir." Cody pulled him closer, into a proper hug. "Yaim'la. Gar gebbar hir, gar juaan mhi. Tayli'bac?"

"Elek." Obi-wan breathed, consciously allowing his body to relax. "Vor entye."

At his words, Cody's body softened against him. Making him realize just how tense Cody had been. "Ni ceta." he whispered.

Cody nuzzled against him in response. "Think nothing of it. How are you feeling?"

Obi-wan hummed in answer as he tried to recall his dream. He recalled a man in a dark helmet and cape with labored mechanical breathing but besides that, he had already forgotten. "I'm fine." he replied.

Cody said nothing, opting not to force the discussion and the room lapsed into silence for several long moments. Eventually, the doors opened for shift change and they all remembered there was a war going on.

The cuddle pile sadly disbanded with the various brothers slowly bringing their blankets and pillows back to their bunks. Obi-wan smiled as he saw a young shiny shuffling about, pouting as he flung his pillow on his cot and grumbled unhappily as had to fetch it after it had bounced off onto the floor.

When Cody got up, Obi-wan tried to follow him to the bridge but Kix flatly refused. Instead, Kix insisted he escort Obi-wan back to medical for a few more tests. Cody offered a sympathetic smile and promised to visit him later on in the day.

Obi-wan grumbled without any real heat but he knew they were right and he did as he was told.

It took far more time and effort to get back to the medbay than Obi-wan expected or preferred. But he counted it as a success since he'd managed to make the long walk without being carried and only relied on Kix for balance once or twice. Despite his slow pace, Kix was incredibly supportive and enthusiastic along the journey. Judging by the smiles of the vod in the halls as he hobbled along, Kix wasn't the only one pleased with his progress.

By the time he made it back to the medbay, Obi-wan was utterly spent. It was irritating to be so exhausted once more but Kix calmly helped him back into bed and he found himself lightly dozing before Kix started the tests.

When Obi-wan woke up again, he found Cody was asleep in the chair next to his bed. The commander's head pitched forward at an uncomfortable angle and Obi-wan winced knowing the crick the man would most certainly have because of it.

"Cody." Obi-wan whispered gently, reaching out to brush his hand against the clone's shoulder.

Cody roused quietly and quickly, the product of years of genetic design and training. "General," he said automatically but immediately flinched at the word.

"Commander?" Obi-wan asked, giving an unspoken order.

Cody frowned sadly, looking away as he took a steadying breath. "You've cleared all Kix's tests and they no longer think you are contagious." Cody turned back to Obi-wan and reached out to gently take Obi-wan's hand like it was a delicate treasure.

"Go on Cody." Obi-wan urged softly, knowing what must be coming.

Cody swallowed as his fingers began tracing along Obi-wan's hand. "We've been ordered back to Coruscant. We have been assigned a new general."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *LONG WINDED RANT BUT IT'S IMPORTANT, SO PLEASE READ*
> 
> Ok firstly, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my little story. My beta reader and I have put a lot of time into this and so far, I'm pleased with how it's turning out. THAT SAID, I am the kind of author who likes feedback. Not for gratification or anything but because what you as the reader, feel, experience, and notice about the story, is infinitely invaluable information for me. I use your feedback to know if I'm getting my point across and it helps me decide if I've achieved what I intended to for the chapter. If you say 'it's a hilarious story' and I've tried to write a drama, I know I've missed the mark for the tone I was going for... AND I will adjust accordingly.
> 
> Also, and more importantly, I am a writer who will go off on a tangent. Your feedback often reorients me to the core theme of my own story. I have already rewritten two major changes because I lost track of the goal for my story and comments from YOU GUYS, have helped me stay on track. (Serious thanks goes out to TexasDreamer01 and MageOfCoal. Without you, this story would lack cohesion.) You, dear commenting readers, have helped me sculpt out this story. So thank you.
> 
> That said, I can not promise to follow every opinion/suggestion (and sometimes it's just not right for the story and I won't... Even if it's a good idea and I really want to) but in general, I like reading your predictions. It helps me decide if I've drawn out a surprise twist too long or if the ending I have planned is the one I actually want or if it's just the one I'm settling for. If I use your ideas I will credit you in the appropriate chapter but if we just have similar ideas or you've guessed my end goal, I won't. (Tho I tend to tease those commenters who come close with hints to what may or may not happen. So if you want to 100% avoid spoilers... please let me know if you comment about the direction you think this is going.)
> 
> Anyway, this is just my way of saying please comment. I not only read them, I take your comments into consideration for the story.
> 
> Also, thank you to my beta reader, again! You are so so soooo patient with me as I ply you with so so so soooo many rewrites. Seriously guys. This was originally 3 chapters long and then it changed to end at ch5... and NOW I've written up to ch8 with major parts written for 9 10 and 11. Special shout-out to kitcatkim3! Without whom, this story would be an incoherent mess. I'm even toying with posting the og ending for this in the notes just to laugh at. (but I can't yet cause, spoilers!)
> 
> Finally, thank you to everyone for just reading along. It's nice to have an audience for my imaginative ramblings. I hope this will be a rewarding angsty read for you all. I will work hard to give this a satisfying conclusion. Kudos to you guys!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They say absence makes the heart grown fonder. But for Obi-wan, it may just make the heart break.

When they arrived on Coruscant, the entire ship was in a somber mood. The halls were near silent as Obi-wan made his way to the exit, Cody at his side.

As their transport dropped them off outside the temple, Obi-wan was only mildly surprised he did not experience the familiar relief and joy of coming home. No, without the force, this was no longer his home.

A Temple Healer came outside to meet them as they arrived.

"Che." He greeted cordially.

"Welcome back." She greeted, suspiciously leaving of his name as tho to avoid using his title. Perhaps the Jedi had already begun to revoke his rank?

Obi-wan simply nodded, preferring to keep his head down and stay quiet but as he stepped forward, a warm hand briefly rested against the small of his back. Looking over, Obi-wan clearly saw the worry and attempt at reassurance from the man. Obi-wan couldn't help but smile. He found himself unequipped to express how much he appreciated Cody's kindness in that moment. Without being able to draw on the force for comfort, Cody was an undeniable support.

But as soon as they stepped inside, they found Quinlan Vos waiting for them.

"Kenobi." He greeted, uncharacteristically serene.

"Vos," Obi-wan bowed. "How can I help you?"

Vos smiled, "For starters, you can give me your commander."

"What?" Obi-wan deadpanned, as unamused as Cody was by Vos's joke.

Cody glare gained in strength in proportion to how wide Vos's smile grew. "I'm your new general." he said. Smile wide enough to slice his face in half.

"Krif." Cody spat.

"Now now, Commander, let's not get off on the wrong footing."

Cody twitched in response but the snarl he was sporting died away as Obi-wan placed his hand on the commander's arm. For his part, Obi-wan didn't know what to say. He just knew 'goodbye' wasn't something he was ready for at the moment.

"It's alright Cody." Obi-wan whispered instead. It felt like a lie and perhaps it was. "Tho Vos doesn't have a command of his own, he is a very capable Jedi."

When Obi-wan turned to Vos the Master's smile had completely evaporated. In its place was a sadness quite rare for someone so quirky. "Treat them well." Obi-wan ordered. His voice contorting from gentle to hard. Something militant and unJedi like. Vos's eyes widened in response.

"You have my word. I will take care of them." Then his eyes shifted to Cody before swiveling back and nodding. "I will keep them safe to the best of my ability. You have my word." he repeated.

Obi-wan returned the nod and just like that, the transfer of the 212 was complete.

Cody had no choice but to obey and so he followed Vos back down the temple steps.

As Obi-wan watched Cody leave, the clone's posture slightly slumped and his steps dragging a half step slower than regulation, Obi-wan didn't need the force to know it would be a long time before they would get the chance to see each other again.

With Cody gone, Obi-wan felt the absence of the 212 more keenly. He felt strangely uprooted, alone and adrift in a world that should be his own but wasn't. He felt lonely. He missed the tactile attentive nature of the clones. By comparison, healer Che was the only one who had any contact with him. Everyone else was simply too busy with the war. But Obi-wan understood, he knew this would happen and even expected it but he couldn't help feeling like he was being shunned as a black mark on the Jedi order. The council member without the force.

To make things worse, he wasn't notified as to when council meetings were taking place. He certainly didn't want to attend them but being in the temple and not being invited to at least listen in and keep up to date was an unexpected blow. They didn't even brief him on who was talking over the rest of his duties.

Then suddenly, things became far far worse.

Apparently, while he had been in quarantine aboard the Negotiator, someone had carried out an attack on the Jedi temple. As a result, Ahsoka Tano had been charged with sedition against the Republic and had been expelled from the Jedi Order.

Not only that, but she had escaped custody and evaded capture. Obi-wan refused to believe the slanderous accusations and immediately went to confront the council.

"Masters." He said in the center of the council chamber, refusing to look at the new master who sat in his place. "What proof do you have to accuse my grand padawan of such an act? To suppose her would be to accuse Anakin and myself of complacency. Do you think so little of my lineage?" He pointedly looked to Master Yoda, not so subtly implying a stain that could reach as far as the grandmaster.

"We think nothing of the sort." Mace began cooly.

"Then it must be neglect. Since a padawan who spends virtually every moment in consultation with a master, dutifully studying the code, could not have had time to be corrupted otherwise."

"Obi-wan." Mace sighed.

"It's Master Obi-wan" He corrected bitterly. "Until the moment it is proven I have completely lost all connection to the force, I am owed the rank I have earned." Mace leaned back in his seat and frowned.

"Master Obi-wan, we will not strip you of your rank, whether you reforge your connection to the force or not. Your rank is yours to keep." Mace suddenly looked very old and weary as he turned to the new master. "But we are in the middle of a war. We cannot allow for important seats to be left open or preferential treatment for those in the lineage of our council members."

Obi-wan bristled at the accusation and opened his mouth to protest but Ka-adi-mundi beat him to it. "We are indeed troubled by Padawan Tano's involvement in this attack but we did not charge her lightly. The information provided to us by the senate was indisputable. I am sorry, Master Obi-wan, but as you are cut off from the force, perhaps you can not sence the troubling darkness that we felt during her sentencing. If you had the force, you would have agreed with our decision."

The other masters nodded sadly in agreement and Obi-wan knew it was over. "I thank you for your time." He said with a brisk yet practiced confident facade. He bowed and made a purposeful and dignified retreat. Only when he reached his own quarters did he realize Master Plo Koon had been nodding in disagreement.

But it didn't matter, his own grand padawan was a fugitive and he could do nothing to help her. And honestly, he had no real idea of whether or not his assumptions about her were founded. Could she have played him for a fool? Is it possible Ahsoka was really behind the attack? One thing was certain, as much as he loathed to admit it, Master Ka-adi-mundi was correct, he did not have the force to guide him and he no longer had the ability to make those kinds of judgments.

Days later Anakin came to visit him, their conversation was brief and painful. Recently, Ahsoka had been found innocent of the crimes leveled against her but in response to the council's lack of faith in her, she had elected to leave the order. The pain in Anakin's eyes went deep, deep enough to drown in and Obi-wan worried for his former padawan. But as the bond they once shared had been severed, neither could comfortably remain in the other's presence for very long and shortly after he'd arrived, Anakin was gone.

The rest of Obi-wan's days were filled with meditation, exercises, trips to the mind healer and medical tests. The results of which were continuously baffling to Master Che as they kept coming back inconclusive. All the healers working on his case were stymied as to what was going on. The information they'd gathered from Jakupo didn't seem to match Obi-wan's results. It was as if something else was at play. And they had all begun wondering if there was another cause to the interference with his connection to the force.

In terms of his physical healing, Obi-wan had made vast improvements. He no longer slept for days on end and had actually begun a low-level exercise of regular combat meditation kanas.

In regards to his emotional and mental healing, he was quite the opposite. In fact, Obi-wan was quickly developing an intense dislike for the general concept of mind healers. His sessions had recently moved into the uncomfortable area of adapting to life without the force. Despite Obi-wan's efforts to change the subject, his mind healer was insistent. Constantly veering the topic back to encourage him to consider how he could cope with the permanent loss of the force. As tho implying his world would forever be without the force ever again. For his part, Obi-wan still believed this to be a premature conclusion but every time he disputed this fact, his healer would accuse him of denial. Whether it was true or not, Obi-wan was just not ready for that kind of discussion, so after one last irritating and heartbreaking session, he canceled all his subsequent appointments.

It was at this point when he truly felt alone. His colleagues and friends were either not around or gave him a wide birth, as tho afraid he was still contagious. His constant inability to perform the most basic force ability was beginning to terrify him. The hope that once overflowed from him in youthfully optimism, now appeared to be draining freely from him without sign of stopping. And the prospect that his mind healer may actually have a point, was a thought he struggled to process.

Life for Obi-wan was incredibly empty.

One morning he woke up and just continued to lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling listlessly. A deep sadness had taken root in his chest long ago but now it had blossomed and festered beyond his capabilities to manage. He was alone and unequipped to tackle the losses that had been thrown his way. Ahsoka, Anakin, Cody the 212, the force itself. It kept eating away at his very soul and the prospect of facing another day was an incredibly daunting task. For once in his life, Obi-wan was beginning to wonder if living was a worthwhile endeavor after all.

As tho in answer, a small chirp of his personal com sluggishly drew his attention and what he saw gave him far more hope than anything had in months. It was a message from Cody, the Negotiator was returning to Coruscant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, first off I wanna say thank you for the response from my last chapter. You guys helped me out so much it's amazing. In fact, this chapter didn't exist until I started reading your comments and I realized the time skip I had in the story should be used to answer some questions that would have come up in later chapters. (can't say what exactly but this chapter is laying a lot of foundation for later) 
> 
> Everyone who commented on the last chapter contributed to this.
> 
> As always comments are appreciated and encouraged.
> 
> Also, for those of you who don't know. The shiny clone from the last chapter, the guy who threw the pillow, his name is Blip. He will be making more appearances in later chapters. Hope you guys enjoy him as much as I do.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where the fun begins. (beginning of the end)

It must have slipped everyone's notice to inform him of the exact arrival of the Negotiator but Obi-wan didn't mind. Not when he so thoroughly enjoyed the surprise at hearing Cody's voice in person as he practiced meditation on a cushion on the north wing of the temple.

"How are you feeling?" Cody asked sitting on the cushion directly across from his former general.

"I'm fine." Obi-wan said opening his eyes as the commander eyed him warily. "How was it working with Quinlan Vos?"

"Don't, just don't." Cody complained with a groan, provoking a smile from the Jedi.

"Not satisfied with your new general?" He teased lightly. It ached to say and hear the words but they needed to be said.

"Let's just say his managerial style doesn't mesh well with my own."

"Oh, sounds like there's a story."

"There is," Cody said with a grin.

Though Obi-wan only smiled politely at first, he soon found himself grinning like an idiot as Cody gesticulated wildly in his retelling of the many exploits he and the rest of the 212 had suffered at the hands of Vos. Cody waved his hands in childish furry as he recounted wanting to strangle the Jedi.

"I told him, 'no, you can't jump from this distance', and you know what the insufferable moron did?"

"Jumped?" Obi-wan supplied, resting his head on his palm.

"No, he crashed the Kriffin plane!"

Obi-wan laughed as Cody scowled at the memory. It had been almost four months since Obi-wan had gotten sick and another solid three with someone else in charge of the 212 as he recovered on Coruscant. Cody and Obi-wan hadn't spent this much time apart since the war began and it showed. They mirrored each other as they leaned in, desperate for scraps of information of the other person's life.

"Sooo, how have you been coming along with the force healing?" Cody asked, hesitant yet hopeful. Obi-wan watched Cody for a moment before answereing, allowing himself to become distracted as he assessed the genuine appearance of the commander. Tho they both slumped forward like conspiring school children, Cody's body held a casual looseness the clones were not known for. It was clear Cody was comfortable in Obi-wan's presence, open and welcoming in ways most Jedi were completely incapable of.

Obi-wan shook his head to clear his thoughts. "sorry, what were you saying?"

Cody gave a sly smile, pausing himself before speaking. "You were about to tell me how your force healing was comming along."

Obi-wan nodded somberly, "At one point I thought I felt something but all my results continue to come back inconclusive." his frown deepened. "I swear I felt something tho, something elusive. Almost like a dark curtain was covering all of Coruscant." He looked down at his hands where his fingers loosely laced together in his lap. "But my mind healers thought it was something called a phantom force presence. That I didn't really feel it, I only thought I felt it." Shame wrapped around him as his words dropped low and quiet.

"I'm sorry, Obi-wan." Cody breathed. His voice, so richly sincear that Obi-wan was not brave enough to face him at the moment.

Obi-wan swallowed before forcing a bit of happiness into his tone. "But Mace has set aside some time later today to test me on my strength in the force. My test results haven't been consistent with what we know of Force Sickness, so we are changing our approach."

"I'm glad." Cody said less sure than he normally did. Then, more gently. "We've all missed you, everyone has been asking about you... Sometimes several times in one hour."

"Oh, and just how do you get anything accomplished commander?" Obi-wan teased, playfully doubling down on the artificial happiness. He leaned forward even more as if challenging Cody to call him out on it.

Cody's eyes squinted slightly as tho processing new information. Then his smile turned mischievous as he angled closer. "It is quite fortunate you don't have to deal with our temp general, isn't it?" He grinned even wider but Obi-wan ignored it.

Obi-wan scowled for real this time. He didn't believe Vos would end up being Cody's "temp" general but this was a time of adjustment for them all and he chose to let it slide, for now. "Kriff, just how much work has he let pile up?"

Cody laughed and scooted forward so they were both sitting on the same meditation cushion. "I've done all the work I can but there are some things only a Jedi can sign off on, Cyar'ika."

Obi-wan sighed and leaned in as the commander wrapped his arms around him and nuzzled contentedly against him. Obi-wan had missed this. It wasn't often they were physically affectionate with each other but ever since he had gotten sick, Cody had become bolder with his displays of affection. And for Obi-wan, his period of living without the force had taught him to be more welcoming of such displays.

"I have missed you." Cody said, his voice low and gentle.

There was still a hollowness in his life where the force use to be but the presence of Cody was filling the gap in ways Obi-wan couldn't have predicted. Obi-wan knew Cody wouldn't be able to stay long but he was here now.

"I've missed you too."

%%%%%%%%%

Obi-wan danced through each Kana with the grace deserving of a master. The ebb and flow of his movements, as fluid as ripples in a pond. His eyes were closed as he performed the pattern in a combat meditation.

The door to the training area swished open just as he finished.

His breathing was even and calm, giving no hint to his long workout.

"Master Windu." Obi-wan greeted cordially as he opened his eyes and relaxed his stance.

The Master of the Jedi order smiled warmly. "It is good to see you well, Master Kenobi."

Obi-wan couldn't help but be a bit cynical, these were just words he thought bitterly.

"I know we planned on testing you today but something has come up." Mace went on.

Obi-wan bowed his head, a slight tremble of disappointment rippled around him as he excepted the master's words. Once again, he was cast aside. Reduced to being an annoyance in his own home, stripped of the respect he had worked so hard to achieve but now he wasn't even worth the time to help recover.

"Obi-wan?" Mace asked, but when Obi-wan looked up the Master said and did nothing. Simply stared at Obi-wan curiously till suddenly his eyes widened as tho something had just occurred to him. "What fools we have been," he muttered, eyes pinching closed in remorse before his gaze fixed back on a confused Obi-wan. "When Jedi show our appreciation for others, it is within the force. And with you, having been separated from it, I now realize the horrible mistake we have made. We have forgotten the most obvious. You have not been able to feel our concern and affection for you. Truly, we have not shown you the support you deserve. In many ways, we have failed you. For that, I am deeply sorry." Mace paused, fishing for the right words. "I promise, we will do better for you in the future, my friend."

Obi-wan nodded, as his eyes glistened. They hadn't forgotten him? Or were these just more pretty words? Without the force, he couldn't be sure...

After a moment of studying him, Mace abruptly nodded, as tho he'd had an entire conversation on his own head and reached a decision. Then with tentative swiftness, the master approached Obi-wan and leaned in till he could finally wrap his arms around Obi-wan. The hug was awkward and clumsy for the both of them. Neither person being as practiced in physical contact as the clones were but Obi-wan found himself melting into the master just the same.

After a long moment, they remained connected, both unsure as to propper hugging protocol and duration. For Obi-wan, it was usually Cody who took the lead on these sorts of things. For Mace, his only experience had been when he read a holo novel in his youth or when he saw people hugging in the lower levels of Coruscant. He always assumed it was a simple act, he didn't realize it has such nuance to it.

Eventually, they separated and it was just as hesitant, uncoordinated and unsure as when the hug had started. "We will do better." Mace vowed, still unsure of what he was doing but Obi-wan smiled warmly, genuinely please by his friend's attempt at being supportive without showing it through the force.

"In the meantime," Mace continued with a slight chough. "we are in need of your expertise. Though you can not join the war as a General," Mace informed him, folding his hands casually in front. "but we have decided to take into account the recommendations of your commander and have you assigned as Admiral to the Negotiator."

"In Admiral Yularen's place?" Obi-wan asked, swallowing a gasp of excitement.

Mace smiled. "Yes, and don't worry about displacing him. I think he's relieved to be transferred. Something about a crashed plane." he shook his head with an exasperated expression that sharply twisted downward to a frown. "Considering you will not be serving in this capacity as a Jedi, the council has requested you leave your saber behind." Though the wording hinted at an order, Mace's voice was uncharacteristically gentle, this was an apologetic request.

Obi-wan looked down at the shiny hilt in his hand. The gold signifying his status on the council gleamed mockingly up at him. He nodded before presenting the saber to the Jedi Master.

"Not like that." Mace said calmly, and though his tone was even, his whole body had suddenly tensed.

Obi-wan blinked and reexamined his posture. His hands were both outstretched, palm side up as a Jedi would surrender their weapon if they were to leave order permanently. Catching the meaning of his posture, Obi-wan dropped one hand and tried again. This time Mace excepted the offering.

"I will keep this for you till you come back." Mace promised, tho Obi-wan couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye.

"You'll be leaving in the hour." and after a brief pause. "May the force be with you."

Sharp pain pinched his heart as the words he'd heard his entire life, suddenly took on a new meaning. He didn't have the force with him, not anymore.

"May the force be with you." Obi-wan returned solemnly.

%%%%%%%

Obi-wan smoothed his hands over the new freshly tailored gray fabric he wore. He'd spent his entire life in Jedi robes but now, without them, he was unusually self-conscious. He couldn't tuck his hands into the billowy sleeves or pull the cloth around him like a blanket. It was such a little thing but it was also a very comfortable part of who he was. He felt a bit emotionally numb as he carded his hands through his copper hair before he stepped off the lift.

He followed the temple's corridor to the left and made his way out the wide doors. 'How many more times would he be allowed to walk these steps?' he thought absentmindedly. Mace had alluded to the fact that he would be allowed to remain whether he regained the force or not but Obi-wan wasn't so sure. Some days it felt as though a timer hung over his head. Mercilessly ticking away and counting down the days and hours till the Temple locked him out for good.

Walking outside, the city of Corasaunt spun around him in its familiar dizzying dance. Odd how he now found the traffics's pulse so comforting. Or perhaps he had always drawn comfort from its display but had simply never noticed before. Just up ahead, Obi-wan saw a cluster of gold and white. A small batch of the 212 were huddled together next to the transport Obi-wan was scheduled to take to the Negotiator.

Honestly, he should have expected they'd be here to greet him. The clones were notoriously protective of their own and in many ways, the 212 had adopted him. Now that he was without access to the force and away from the protection of the temple, there was no chance they'd allow him to wander alone.

As he approached, he became aware of a subtle addition to the clone's uniforms. Just above the rank insignia was a small black and white nameplate. Obi-wan felt a warmth swell inside him as he realized its significance. They didn't want him to feel bad for not recognizing them without the force.

He swallowed a lump in his throat and blinked away tears as the clones turned to welcome him warmly by opening up their little circle to include him.

Waxer let out a low whistle and made no attempt to hide looking his new Admiral up and down, earning a wack alongside the head from Boil.

"You do that in front of Cody and see how far it gets ya." his vod challenged.

"I just call it as I see it." Waxer insisted, giving Obi-wan a flirtatious wink. More to annoy his brother than to actually come on to him but Obi-wan blushed anyway.

"Then see less of it.' Boil groused before turning to Obi-wan. "I'm sorry for him sir. It's just, we've all missed you."

The surrounding clones all nodded and murmured in various agreements.

"It's good to have you back sir." A particularly bright-eyed clone squeaked. Obi-wan did his best to surreptitiously read the nameplate 'Blip' it said and Obi-wan smiled warmly.

In response to the simple smile, the shiny positively radiated happiness. Reminding Obi-wan that although Blip was an unusually shy clone, he thrived off the contentment of others. Only seeking to come out of his shell when one of his fellow vod was in need. As a result, he was considered a "blip" in the system. An anomaly, the soldier whose goal in life was to spread kindness. A childlike innocence in a war zone. Blip was optimistic, naive and impressionable, eager to please and especially concerned with everyone's happiness. He had even started a tradition of leaving random gifts for those he felt needed to feel better. (especially after a battle) He was incredibly creative and could seemingly craft anything out of the objects he came across. A scrap wire became an intricately knotted pendant and necklace, a rock became a mirror-polished good luck charm. A bit of rope was woven together to make hats and scarves. Although Blip lacked the force, Obi-wan couldn't help but marvel at how the shiny could consistently form, reshape and repurpose things in truly magical ways.

"Thank you. It's good to be back." Obi-wan replied tightly, his throat constricting with memory. The clones chatted amicably, allowing him to calm down as they shepherded him up the short steps onto the transport before taking off.

Obi-wan appreciated the company as they pulled away from his home. He swallowed again and looked down at his hands as they rested in his lap. He couldn't quite stamp out a small insidious voice whispering insecurities into his ear. What if he wasn't capable? He could barely measure up before when he had the force. Now he was expected to perform his duties without it? What if he made the wrong call or gave the wrong order? He could get people killed. Innocents like Blip were now under his command and he had no reassurance from the force to know if the choices he would make were right.

Obi-wan felt like a padawan again, like a brand new shiny, and in many ways he was. He'd never been an Admiral before, he was still technically qualified to fulfill the role and he knew the position well enough... but he still felt an like an imposter.

"Come on sir." Blip said, his soft voice rousing him from his thoughts as they landed. "Let's get on board before they take off without us." Blip's smile was gentle and held no small amount of understanding as he waited for Obi-wan to follow.

Obi-wan made his way to the bridge, passing name tag after name tag and silently vowed to relearn who was who.

The bridge was empty when they arrived and Obi-wan took a moment to run his hand along the smooth surfaces he'd be serving at. It was so familiar yet completely new to him. He experimentally pushed out into the force, seeking an answering pulse back as he gently traced over the cool panel. Something was almost there, humming a distressed murky warning but just beyond his grasp. Ghost-like in appearance, it was vague, like the echoed spotty after-image of looking at a light for too long. Or maybe it was just his imagination. He'd been cautioned by the temple healers that he could experience phantom force pulls. That they were not to be trusted as they had no real foundation within the force it'self. Behind him, the doors swished open and he let the feeling drop.

"Sir." Cody asked gently. "How are you doing?"

Turning around, Obi-wan offered a troubled smile. "I will be fine." He admitted.

Cody nodded once before walking over to give him a hug. The door opened again and more vod filtered in but Cody and Obi-wan ignored them.

Finally, Cody pulled away just enough to rest his forehead against Obi-wan's in a Mando'a kiss. "I'm glad you are back." The commander whispered fervently. His voice was rough and dry and Obi-wan pulled the man back into a hug in response. His throat was too tight for anything else.

After a few heartbeats more, they mutually separated.

"We have just received a credible lead on the location of General Grievous," Cody explained. "We are being sent to Utapau and hopefully, we will finally see an end to this war."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are on the home stretch people. It's been a long time coming. I just wanna say sorry in advance and remind people this will have a happy ending.
> 
> Also, my gosh guys... some of you were spot on with predictions and I'm really excited cause it tells me I've laid enough groundwork that you can guess what could happen. therapybegins and NorthernAurora, Kudos to you guys. Also, Our lullaby was hysterically close. Like I honestly already had the hug written before I read your comment, I swear. and Yes It Really Is Feeney, Oh gosh, I've been sitting on the Mace and Obi-wan hug for so long. I hope it's a satisfying heart to heart. lol
> 
> Finally, thank you all so much for your continued support and interest. I am blown away. To put this into perspective, besides this story, the highest subscription count I have is 41. The subscription count for this story... 213! That is a huge margin for comparable numbers of hits. (⨀ _ ⨀)
> 
> So yeah, thank you for your support. Makes me want to try even harder to get the ending just right.
> 
> Feedback, as always, is appreciated and encouraged. Hope to hear from you!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vos and Obi-wan prepare for their next mission, Utapau.

Obi-wan had his arms crossed as he usually did when they were strategizing for an upcoming battle. Cody stood in his usual place to Obi-wan's right, technically he should be standing next to Vos but nobody said anything and Obi-wan wasn't about to send the man away. And that was all the evidence Obi-wan needed to know how thoroughly the code had been broken. Yes, without the force, Obi-wan had given himself permission to become attached. Cody merely choosing to stand beside Obi-wan, despite the presence of his new general, proved that Obi-wan had been chosen in return.

Obi-wan smiled as he refocused his drifting thoughts and looked across the comm to Vos who was watching him carefully.

"Why don't we call it a day?" he said. "Get a good night's sleep before tomorrow's battle."

"You don't think preparing for such a decisive battle wouldn't be a better use of our time?" Obi-wan insisted, fighting off the beginnings of a yawn. Vos did well in hiding his smile but Obi-wan glared suspiciously anyway. It had been a long few days since he'd left the temple and although he'd been able to keep up with the others. He was still very weary by the end of the day. His body remembering better than most how exhausting his Force Sickness recovery had been.

"Nah." the new general teased. "I think you and your commander could find much better ways of -"

"Finish that sentence and I'm throwing you out the airlock." Obi-wan spat. On the side opposite Cody, Blip shifted nervously as though unsure of how to intervene if things escalated. Not that Obi-wan blamed him. If Obi-wan and Vos actually did come to blows what would they do? Fighting Vos was treason against the republic yet not supporting their Admiral (and adopted vod) was treason of a more personal nature. And if they were allowed to fight, then Vos would no doubt come out the victor meaning Blip would be forced to watch as his commanding officer was knocked around in a fight he was destined to lose.

Then again, Obi-wan and Vos only ever appeared to dislike each other. Their relationship wasn't as contentious as it may seem to an outsider like Blip, it was more of a long-standing competition to see who could throw the best barbs, than an all-out feud. Anakin and Vos on the other hand, now THAT could end in blows.

But to be honest, Obi-wan was too tired to verbally spar tonight, and perhaps sensing his low energy, Vos showed a modicum of pity and simply laughed and walked away. Unfortunately for him, Obi-wan did not feel like being a bigger person and coupled with the fact that he was too exhausted to see reason, he began to pursue the Jedi.

Obi-wan marched around the center com as the doors closed behind Vos. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cody holding Blip back. 'Good' Obi-wan thought as he darted out the door, no need to stress the shiny out further as Obi-wan had every intention of giving the general a piece of his mind.

"Vos" he called, a growl in his voice he didn't bother to hide. The Jedi slowed till he came to a full stop, only then did he turn around to face him.

"What is it Obi-wan?" The Jedi sighed.

Obi-wan bristled, his body practically vibrating with furry. "What is it? We are on the eve of a defining battle for the entire war and you would rather take a nap! Do the lives under your command really mean so little to you? I thought better of you Vos, but perhaps I was wrong." he sneered.

Vos remained quiet but assessing as Obi-wan continued to rail against him. "Has life in the shadows jaded you so much that you would prefer to march into battle unprepared for every eventuality? To endanger their lives with ignorance out of spite over being forced to command when you would prefer to be out enjoying the freedom of your usual postings?"

"Hold up Kenobi." Vos cut in, raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Let's get one thing straight, I wasn't assigned the 212."

Obi-wan glared, crossing his arms and clenching his teeth but allowed Vos to continue.

When he continued, Vos's voice was low, gentle and soothing. "I do care about their lives Kenobi. I wouldn't have volunteered to become their commander if I didn't."

"Volunteered?" Obi-wan echoed. "Why, why would you take on an entire unit now?"

Vos smiled sadly. "Kenobi, I know we've had our rocky moments but I always thought you knew I value you as a friend."

Obi-wan did his best not to get caught up in the rare words of admitted appreciation or drown in how much he wanted to hear them.

"I took on the 212 because I knew they were important to you. And after that business with Krell, I didn't trust another Jedi to do it. So I volunteered."

Obi-wan couldn't quite bite back the tremble of his lip as his friend put his hand on his shoulder. "I know things have been very hard on you lately," Vos continued. "but your friends are here for you. We may not always be very good at it." he admitted, playfully slapping his hand down and giving Obi-wan a cocky smirk. "Look, it's late and you're tired, I can feel it in the force. and I hate to remind you, but you don't have the force to keep you awake and functioning like you normally would. None of us are at our best when we are worn out and you were just released from the temple a few days ago. I think it is in everyone's best interest if we take a break and go to bed, not because I'm being irresponsible" Vos clarified again "but because it's late and-."

Obi-wan nodded and looked down at the ground sheepishly. "You're right Vos, I'm sorry. I overreacted and accused you of, well, some rather horrible things." He looked up and offered an apologetic smile. "I do apologize Quinlen."

"If you weren't worth the trouble, I wouldn't bother." Vos grinned. "Will you see that our mutual friend here gets to bed commander?" Vos's gaze slid to just over Obi-wan's shoulder.

Looking behind him, Obi-wan smiled just as sheepishly at Cody. The commander stood in the doorway, arms crossed and doing his best impression of a long-suffering parent.

"Of course general," Cody smiled, not taking his eyes off of Obi-wan.

"Good night Obs." Vos said before turning to leave.

"Thank you Vos." Obi-wan called but Vos only threw up a backward wave as he left. Not even bothering to turn around.

As Cody approached, Obi-wan couldn't help a slight pink blush. "I'm sorry Commander. I've-"

"Obi-wan." Cody gently admonished, stepped forward to cradle the Admiral's hands in his own. "You are far too tough on yourself." His fingertips soothingly brushed along the tender flesh at his pulse point, dancing against his skin as the commander's thumbs stroked calming circles against his wrist.

Obi-wan nodded again, tho this time his eyes couldn't help but be pulled to the teasing smirk of Cody's lips.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Cody said, voice warm and fond.

"My, how bold commander." Obi-wan purred, taking the opportunity to step forward. Allowing just enough space so that Cody could back out if he decided to. But instead, Cody leaned in, pulling Obi-wan's hands up to rest on his own shoulders before circling the admiral's waist with his arms to tug Obi-wan forward. "It is the eve of battle," The commander pointed out, coquettishly glancing away as his warm hands roamed aimlessly along Obi-wan's back. "it would be more efficient if we were to stay in close contact for the remainder of the night. Wouldn't you agree, Admiral?"

Obi-wan hummed in response. "Just in case something new developed, we'd be able to respond immediately."

"Exactly."

"Well in that case, would you like to accompany me to my quarter's commander?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

As casually as they could, they made their way to the Admirals quarters and as soon as the doors shut behind them, their wandering hands latched on to whatever garment they could and began tugging it off.

Lips clashed heatedly as Cody pressed Obi-wan against a wall, prompting a groan from the man. A moment after, they broke apart so Cody could stoop down to yank an uncooperative boot off his Admiral and shuffle himself out of his black top.

Obi-wan marveled at the warmth of Cody's body as his coat fell away and the man pressed back against him. An electric shiver tumbled down his spine as Cody experimentally thrust up against him.

Obi-wan gasped in response, his head rolling to the side and Cody laughed, something low and gravely.

"You like that?" Cody whispered, repeating the motion before gently sucking on the proffered neck. The pleasurable assault causing Obi-wan's toes to clench in response.

"Kriff," Obi-wan breathed as Cody thrust him higher against the wall. Obi-wan wrapped his legs around the commander and groaned. At this rate he wasn't going to make it to the bed but couldn't find it in himself to care as Cody's hardened member teased underneath him.

After months and years of being together, the slow build of contact growing for the past months only to be cut off from the man for so long... Oh, how he craved this contact. "Cody, please." Obi-wan begged breathlessly, his hands threading through the commander's curly dark hair as the lips peppered his skin.

With a groan of approval, Cody's hand dipped behind him, slipping into...

Suddenly there was a flash of white... Followed by screams. The galaxy was thrown into chaos and Obi-wan flinched as he saw the clones marching on the temple, Guns rased. And in another flash, he saw Anakin, kneeling at the feet of a dark figure. A deep cowl hid its face but ghostly white appendages curled out just beyond the sleeve of the black robes. "Master" Anakin called him, triggering a gravelly laugh that echoed around the chamber in sadistic glee, the sound syncopated with another strobing flash of lights. With each burst, Obi-wan witnessed the deaths of dozens of Knights and Masters. Even the entire council could not escape, Mace, Vos and Plo Koon... Their deaths flashed across his mind sending him reeling.

"Obi-wan!" He heard Cody's frantic cry as his vision cleared.

When he opened his eyes, Obi-wan found himself laying on the floor with Cody hovering over him.

"Cody."' He gasped as the man's hands gently cupped his jaw. Cody's brown eyes, alight with a wild frenzied terror. "I, I need to speak with, with the council." Obi-wan began before he was cut off.

"Obi-wan, I think you just had a seizure." Cody protested.

"What I had was a vision." He explained, struggling to sit up. "I need..." The world tilted around him as he spoke but Cody held him up.

"One moment." Cody said as he reached out to grapple with his discarded brace.

Cody fiddled with the com and soon the blue holo image of Mace flickered into view.

"Mace." Obi-wan gasped frantically, not waiting for permission before he launched into as much of a detailed account of his vision as he was able.

Cody sat beside him in growing horror as Obi-wan regaled them with what he'd seen.

"The younglings, Anakin slaughtered younglings." His voice was about to shake itself apart around the intermittent gasps and hiccups as the sobs escaped in his telling. "They were in hiding but when he came in... they trusted him and in return, he drew his saber and slaughtered them." His voice finally gave way and he gasped and choked for breath.

"The entire order will be wiped out, the clones, they turned on us, they killed us." he shook like he was chilled with cold.

"Obi-wan." Mace cut in. "Obi-wan, calm down. I need you to listen to me, alright?"

Obi-wan rubbed at the stream of tears that continued to leak from his eyes despite his best efforts to stop. He sucked in a slow breath to calm himself as he continued to shudder. He swallowed thickly before nodding.

"Alright good, now I need you to listen to me." Mace soothed, leaning forward with his elbows perched on his knees and his hands cupped together infront of him.

Obi-wan sniffled and nodded again as Mace spoke slow and even. The epitome of a controlled Jedi master.

"Now, I want you to grab something nearby. A datapad or something." As he spoke, Cody got up and dashed across the room to retrieve just that.

"Here, sir." He said wagging the datapad in the glowing light of the com.

"Ok, now Obi-wan, I want you to try and levitate the datapad Commander Cody is holding."

Cody let the device lay flat in his hand as Obi-wan situated himself across from it and struggled to center himself within the force. His breath still came in faster than it should but with fear-driven impatience, he reached out... into nothing.

His eyes widened and his fear mounted. "I-I." he stammered for an explanation.

"Obi-wan calm down. I need you to listen to me. Is it possible this is one of those Phantom Force pulls your mind healers have warned about?"

"No" Obi-wan shouted but as he reached back into the force to prove the master wrong, he was left with nothing.

"Sir." It was Cody who spoke up. "Sir is it possible he could have visions and still not be able to move objects?"

Mace frowned shaking his head. "With as powerful as this vision would appear, it is unlikely to happen for someone without full access to the force."

Cody looked worriedly to Obi-wan. "Then what could have..?" He stopped whatever he was going to say as he saw how despondent Obi-wan had become.

Obi-wan sagged as his breathing finally slowed in stunned realization. "It was little more than a dream, wasn't it?" He whispered. "Just some phantom force-pull, a random swell of nightmare induced images no doubt rooted in years spent traumatized by war only to suddenly crop up now because I've returned to the Negotiator." How foolish he thought. He'd been so caught up in the sweet mirage of still having the force, that he'd forgotten he had actually lost it.

"I'm, I'm sorry Mace." He whispered brokenly, embarrassment clawing at him as his head hung low and his heart dropped lower.

Mace was quiet as Obi-wan began to collapse in on himself, arms wrapping around his middle, hugged himself only to have the slow horrifying realization he wasn't wearing a shirt or pants. In a flash of panic, he remembered Cody was also sans clothing. "Oh, Um... My apologies Master Windo. I- I should-" Mace looked like he was going to say something but Obi-wan didn't wait to finish his own sentence before he broke the connection.

The two sat in stunned silence as the true horror of what they'd just done dawned on them. Cody looked to Obi-wan with eyes bright and wide, Obi-wan breathed out shakily as he stared in disbelief at the commander. Together, their hearts thumped erratically till a tiny quark from Obi-wan's lip seemed to break some of the mounting tension.

He laughed, broken but honest laughter born of stress overtook him but Cody didn't join him. He merely watched on in growing concern as Obi-wan gladly fell into the experience of allowing a manic fit of giggles to send him into a shaky bout of hysterical laughter.

"Oh force! Oh force, we're naked! I called the Master of the Order, Naked!"

Cody gaped before looking down at himself and a vibrant red colored his cheeks as he pulled a coat over to cover himself. Obi-wan just roared, clutching his side with one arm and whipping at the tears in his eyes with the other. Eventually, Obi-wan's laughter proved contagious and Cody joined in. Together they lay on the floor gasping for breath till the spark of energy gradually left them.

"Are you alright Obi-wan?" Cody asked once they had climbed down from their joined delirium. He had rolled over to his side and propped his head with his had and studied Obi-wan with a gaze far to assessing and calculating, for Obi-wan not to take seriously.

Obi-wan rolled over so his back was on the ground and he stared up at the ceiling. He thought back to his "vision" and suddenly he realized how foolish it was to ever believe it could be true. The clones would never turn on the Jedi. Cody would never betray him. He looked back to Cody who patiently waited for Obi-wan to muddle through his erratic emotions. Living without the force was taxing, he decided. He had never known how truly difficult life could be. How did Cody manage? A new respect blossomed inside of him and he gave the commander an affectionate smile.

"I'm alright, Cody. I think Vos was right. I've overworked myself. I've been working as though I had the force to sustain me and the reality is, I've overexerted myself. I apolo-"

"Shhh shhh," Cody cooed gently. "You have nothing to apologize for cyar'ika. I'm worried is all. I care for you." Cody's eyes bore into him and Obi-wan couldn't help but smile.

"Oh dear one, I care for you too."

Cody smiled and crawled across the floor to tug Obi-wan into his arms. "Are you sure your alright?"Cody whispered as he tucked his face into the crook at Obi-wan's neck and just breathed in his sent.

"Yes cyar'ika," Obi-wan assured, tho in truth he wasn't entirely sure himself. His dream was terrifying and violent and felt so real. But also, he just didn't want Cody to leave. A vague remnant of his vision still haunted him. Cody's face, lumbered over him and his dark eyes were lifeless. He was Cody but he was not... "I think we should just call it a night, but, you're still welcome to stay, if you'd like." He tried not to let Cody hear from his voice how desperate he was to not be alone.

Cody pulled him closer and gently began to rock the both of them back and forth. "I would love to stay." he said, nuzzling his Admiral's neck contentedly.

%%%%%%%%%

Mace stared at the vacant com long after Obi-wan had disconnected the call. Clearly Obi-wan was, in the beginning at least, convinced his vision was authentic. Convinced enough that he had forgotten he and his commander were both undressed. Yet the healers had all said Obi-wan's midichlorian count wasn't regenerating. At his last checkup, Kenobi's count was still low enough to be considered a force null. Even some clone troopers had a higher count than he did. Yet, he had been so descriptive in what he saw... was this really just a nightmare or simply the product of war and trauma on an unguarded mind?

The door swished open and the diminutive green figure of Master Yoda shuffled in. "Much on your mind?" the master purred and mace gave a half-smile in response.

"I just had an, unusual conference with Master Obi-wan."

"Doing better he is?" the master asked as he hopped up to a cushion opposite Mace.

"I'm honestly not sure. He says he has had a force vision but according to the healers, that is impossible."

"Strange Master Kenobi's situation is." Yoda admitted shaking his head slowly. "Recovered more of the force, records from Jakupo suggest. Yet heal, he has not."

Mace scowled. "Could it be there is more at play then we can see?"

"Larger picture, there could be. But difficult to see without a skills assessment."

"I was scheduled to go over just that when our intel with General Grevious came in. After serving so long in this war, I felt Master Kenobi deserved to have a hand in carrying out it's ending."

Yoda nodded. "Then unsure we are, if Master Obi-wan is indeed without the force."

"but the healer's tests?" Mace asked, stretching forward to drape his cupped hands over his lap.

Yoda slowly looked up as his ears drooped. "More at work, there could be." He admitted.

"Then does Master Kenobi have the force?"

"Know this we do not."

"then his vision..."

"True, it could be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Cody got cockblocked by the force. lol
> 
> Also, it is at this point in my angsty stories that I tell readers 'trust the tags not the author' cause I will mess with you in the comments and in the story. DON'T TRUST ME FROM HERE ON. This is your last warning! (kidding, I will give as many warnings as you need. It's not actually my goal to make people miserable. It's just a perk of beign a writer.)
> 
> That said, I won't oughtright lie to you ever. I will streatch the truth an imply a more horrible fate. (in otherwords, it will be true from a cirten point of view) 
> 
> As always, comments are appriceated espically now cause your feedback will help mold the ending.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Utapau and new orders.

Admiral Obi-wan sighed as he listened to the coms of the 212 and their General below on the planet surface. He longed to be with them. Fighting alongside them on Utapau, protecting them as they risked their lives for the galaxy. Instead, he was stuck hanging in orbit, watching and waiting. Without the force, all he could do is listen with bated breath for any scrap of news as information was relayed over the coms.

"Um, Tea sir?" Blip said, offering him a fresh cup.

"Yes, thank you, Blip." Obi-wan replied kindly to the wide-eyed shiny.

"Sir, we're receiving a transmission from Coruscant." Another trooper abruptly announced. What was his name? Headlock?

"Alright." Obi-wan agreed and soon after, a hunched and deformed robed figure appeared hovering before him. "The time has come." they rasped "Execute Order 66."

And as soon as he'd appeared, he disappeared.

Odd, Obi-wan thought. "What is order 66?" he asked the room but as he turned, he realized even the shiny at his side had disappeared, taking the offered tea with him as well.

A strange feeling stirred in the pit of his stomach and the feeling grew as he looked around him. The clones weren't talking to one another, instead they marched around seemingly ignoring him completely.

"Ah, what's going on?" He asked, only succeeding in drawing the attention of one or two clones who then turned back to their work.

Taken aback, Obi-wan chose to remain quiet for the time being. Instead, he chose to carefully monitor the troopers as they scurred about.

Suddenly, he noticed the faint flicker on his personal comm, a message flashing brokenly. As he assessed the strange behavior of his men he decided to trust a growing paranoia and opted to leave the bridge before answering. He crept out in the hall and into an adjacent empty conference room before he opened the link. The scrambled message sparked with static interference and for a moment he thought he saw Vos. He was crouched low, hunched in a small cramped space as though hiding from a great threat. "bi-wan, - ked. Shot down, Repeat- Don't tr-." was all he heard before the transmission abruptly ended.

Nervously, Obi-wan commd Cody but he either wouldn't answer or was unable to.

Obi-wan breathed in and held it before he slowly breathing out. He opened his eyes and continued to calm himself the way he'd been taught by the healers at the temple.

'what is going on?' he thought, making his way back to the bridge. He tamped down the uneasiness growing inside him as he continued to observe the odd behavior of the clones.

He crossed his arm as he rested against a wall, far away from several vod yet close enough he could hear if they said anything. The communication from the planet was eerily silent.

Sometime later, several troops returned to the ship. Though they did so without proper authorization from the bridge. Very odd.

Obi-wan watched the feed from the hanger as they landed, Cody was marching with them.

Obi-wan naturally wanted to question his commander as to the abrupt change that had taken place but something warned him away.

Choosing to follow it, he quickly plotted a way to get to the hanger and acquire one of the republic gunships. He was in the process of mapping out where he would escape to when he caught himself. He was about to commit treason based off of what? a hunch? For him to take such drastic action for an unsubstantiated "gut feeling", on his first mission as an Admiral was delusional. He was operating as though he was still force sensitive but in reality, he was mistakingly allowing his emotions to control him. This was simply another episode of 'phantom force presence'. Obi-wan tried to ward off the warning that sang around him. No, he was just so accustomed to following the force, that in its absence, he was confusing the natural fear during a war to lead him in its stead.

It was all so absurd, he admonished himself. There had to be a reasonable explanation for the behavior of his men. Maybe they didn't trust him with some new intel? Although he seriously doubted Cody would do such a thing... Unless, it was for his own safety that he'd been kept out of it.

Obi-wan clenched his arms around himself as he ignored his instinct to run. He was so caught in the tangled web of his thoughts and worries that even the doors swishing open startled him.

"Cody?" Obi-wan asked, not liking how he and his brothers all held themselves as they entered. They were just too militant, even for soldiers.

"Zero eight one one, follow me." he said before marching past.

It took Obi-wan a moment to realize he was the one Cody was talking to.

"Cody?" he said, heavy unease leaking unhindered into his voice. "What is going on?"

"The Jedi have betrayed the Republic." Cody stated emotionlessly. A door swished open and Obi-wan stammered as he passed the threshold after Cody.

"That's not possible. The Jedi would never-"

"You are no longer a Jedi and more importantly, no longer a threat without the force. We have been ordered to consider you as one of our own." Cody paused before grabbing Obi-wan's wrist. Obi-wan was shocked to realize Cody had taken them to the medbay.

Obi-wan tugged to pull his hand back but Cody's grip didn't budge. In response, the mounting worry inside of him began blaring out a desperate warning, encouraging his struggle to release the grasp fixed tight to his hand. To escape.

"No," Obi-wan gasped as his heartbeat thundered in his ears, picked up the pace. "I don't know why you are doing this Cody, but it's me! I would never do anything to-"

"We know you haven't," Cody said pulling him tighter against himself. Desperately, Obi-wan flung a quick uppercut at Cody's jaw, giving in to the instinctive call to fight. The commander grunted as an elbow smashed into his ribs. Just as quick, Obi-wan gave a precise knife handed jab into his solar plexus. Each of Obi-wan's hits were delivered in such swift succession that the Cody had yet to respond. But on the fourth hit, Cody blocked and caught his arm. Twisting his hand out at an odd angle till his bones flirted with the idea of breaking.

Cody threw Obi-wan against a bed and pressed his full weight against him, effectively pinning him. "You are one of us." he rasped. "but you are missing your chip."

"My what?" Obi-wan grunted in utter confusion. He looked up into Cody's golden brown eyes and gasped at what he saw. Where once they held oceans of warmth and concern, love and devotion, now they were empty. A lifeless gray film dulled the rich color and in it's place, a chasm devoid of humanity mocked what Obi-wan had cherished so deeply. But this was not Cody.

Obi-wan kicked out in response. Physically throwing his body against the tone soldier but Cody was fixed and immoveable. Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-wan saw Kix approaching, ominously loading a hypospray.

In a last-ditch effort, Obi-wan frantically reached out into the force and and once more, found nothing. As Kix's footsteps neared, Obi-wan thrashed out as hard as he could and suddenly, it felt as tho he was pressed against a murky fog. The unknown energy rippled just underneath his touch and Obi-wan doubled his efforts. It gave way, momentarily coiling in orbit around him but he still couldn't reach into it, let alone decipher exactly what it was. Again, Obi-wan surged towards what should have been the force but felt entirely alien to him. This time he was able to briefly graze it and in response, the foggy entity pulsed like a leaving heartbeat and reaching back towards him, seeking him... and for a moment, the unfamiliar power suddenly filled him. He had only a half-second of control before it screamed 'now.' Without a moment's hesitation, Obi-wan harnessed what he could and mentally shoved outward from all angels.

Cody and Kix blasted across the room, each slamming into the far wall with a deafening crunch. But a trail of red blood smeared down the wall following Cody as his limp form slid to the ground and remained motionless. 'oh force no' Obi-wan thought as he dashed to the unconscious figure. "Cody" he shouted uselessly, "Cody!" he called running a hand against the commander's neck to check for a pulse. Then, ever so slowly, Cody's eyes opened. Obi-wan let out a breath as he lovingly brushed the man's dark cheek, cradling his head gently. Cody's eyes focused on him for only a moment before shifting to something behind him. "Cyare." Obi-wan whispered as their eyes locked together again.

"A good soldier follows orders." Cody said as a cold needle plunged into his neck.

"Cyare" Obi-wan whispered as he fell against the man he had once loved, the man who now no longer recognized him. 'He had lost Cody' was the last thing Obi-wan knew before darkness descended upon him.

%%%%%%%%%

As soon as CT-6116 had fixed the damage done to CC-2224, he was sent on his way.

A distant voice rattled the bars in the cadge CC-2224 had built up around it. It's screams echoed across CC-2224's mind as the medbay doors closed behind him, abandoning Obi-wan to a fate worse than death.

"How could you!" It accused, raming himself against the unseen wall and growing in volume. "How could you abandon him! How could you KILL Vos!"

"A good soldier follows orders." was the only reply the voice ever managed to evoke.

"A GOOD SOLDIER DOESN'T KILL THEIR SUPERIOR OFFICER! A GOOD SOLDIER DOESN'T ABUSE THE TRUST OF A COMRADE SO THEY CAN BE BRAINWASHED INTO BECOMING A MINDLESS DRONE!"

"A good Soldier-"

"I WAS A GOOD SOLDIER WITHOUT YOU!" It howled, the voice pitching high and raspy as the efforts of frantically lashing out began to take their toll. It had been shouting since they had first heard 'order 66'. It had been shouting since CC-2224 had shot down Vos and it had screamed in horror as CC-2224 tracked down the Jedi.

The voice shook as it tried to banish the memory of CC-2224, cornering the lone Jedi in a small cave. No one deserved that, not even Vos.

The voice sagged tiredly in the mental prison it was trapped in.

"Obi-wan." It whispered. "I'm so sorry, forgive me, Gedetir." and the voice sobbed.

%%%%%%%%%

081-1 woke up still groggy from his implantation procedure at 0600 three cycles later and immediately reported to command for further conditioning and instructions.

COMMAND: 081-1 is assigned to the 212 and will be stationed on the vessel formerly known as Negotieater, now called Inquisitor I. Your orders are to hunt down and eliminate the traitors known as Jedi.

There was nothing to pull 081-1 away from the programmed command. Nothing that fought against the orders. Just a cold empty space, silent and dead.

"A Good Soldier Follows Orders."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trust the tags people!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody takes a page from Obi-wan's book and tries to negotiate with CC-2224.

The holo image flicked as CC-1010 finished briefing the bridge crew of Inquisitor I. "You are being sent to the planet Degoba to investigate the disappearance of several Imperial vessels. Darth Vader will be accompanying you and is scheduled to rendezvous at your location within the hour. He will board and inspect your entire fleet. You are to follow Lord Vader's orders as he is the new apprentice of Lord Sidious. Do not disappoint him." CC-1010 lowered his datapad before abruptly signing out.

When the blue light dissipated, the room seemed to take on a colder temperature. CC-2224 stood next to 081-1 as the Admiral continued to stare straight ahead even as whole minutes ticked by. His glazed blue eyes seemed off to CC-2224. His expression should hold more life... but it didn't. Instead, his eyes fogged over like a fever had taken hold of his mind. As the time of Lord Vader's arrival grew nearer, 081-1 had yet to move. He stoically remained still and silent, simply waiting like a droid for more orders.

Distantly, CC-2224 heard a broken scream as he turned to take in the appearance of the copper-haired admiral.

'A good soldier follows orders' he thought but he wasn't given any orders at the moment, so he allowed himself the chance to better examine the soldier at his side.

He was shorter than his other... soldiers? (VOD, BROTHERS) a voice corrected adamantly.

Brothers?

CC-2224 shook his head and considered reporting to Command for reconditioning.

'No, you're not breaking any rules.' The unknown voice whispered. 'A good soldier follows orders.' It reminded.

'Yes, a good soldier follows orders.' CC-2224 agreed.

'... But that doesn't mean you can ONLY follow orders. No one is ordering you to breathe right now. So it stands to reason, it is acceptable to exist outside of Orders, you just can't break them.' The voice continued.

'This... seemed reasonable.' CC-2224 acknowledged.

'So, it's perfectly acceptable to stand close to Obi-wan.'

'081-1.' CC-2224 corrected.

The voice growled. 'Why do you call him that?'

'Because that is his designation.'

'But he has also been called Obi-wan in the past. So, since there are no orders preventing you from calling him that, then it's ok to think of him as Obi-wan.' The voice reasoned.

'That does not follow protocol' CC-2224 explained.

'but you're not disobeying orders.' the voice pointed out.

'... technically correct...' CC-2224 conceded.

CC-2224 watched as... Obi-wan's focus remained blankly ahead. As though he was beaten and had given up.

CC-2224 suppressed a shudder at the thought.

Obi-wan had been reconditioned three times since order 66 had been given six days ago. The orders had come straight from the Sith Lord himself and there was a standing order that he would be reconditioned at least once a week from now on.

CC-2224 did his best not to flinch as he heard Obi-wan begin to whisper an endless mantra of "A good soldier follows orders."

Somewhere deep inside him, CC-2224 sobbed.

'Save him, please.' The voice begged. 'PLEASE!'

But even if he wanted to, CC-2224 didn't know how. "A good soldier follows orders" he whispered to himself.

'A good soldier protects those they love.' voice argued.

"A good soldier follows orders."

'A good soldier saves people in need.'

"A good soldier follows orders."

The voice sighed. 'What if I told you there was more to life than rules and regulations? I know, funny coming from me of all people. But what if you could follow orders AND save those you love? What if there was a place you could be with Obi-wan, your brothers, follow orders AND know that you were doing the right thing.'

"A good soldier follows orders."

'What if those orders are wrong?'

CC-2224 shook his head. It was time to report to command for reconditioning. He turned to leave...

'What if' the voice pressed with a hint of panic. 'what if there were no orders?'

"a good soldier follows order."

'what if you didn't have to be a soldier anymore?'

CC-2224 abruptly stopped. 'not be a soldier? What else was there?'

The voice let out a breath. 'There's a whole galaxy of possibilities out there. Not everyone is in the military. You could be a, ummm farmer. Farming is a respectable profession that doesn't require ordres. After all, you can't disobey orders if there are no orders.'

CC-2224 couldn't deny the logic, the voice had a point.

'Why don't you go back to Obi-wan?' the voice coaxed. A nagging worry began to build inside them at knowing Obi-wan had been left alone. CC-2224 turned to return to his Admiral.

'Bring him tea' the voice added as an afterthought.

'Why tea?' CC-2224 asked slightly confused.

'Because, it will be suspicious to leave only to return a few moments later for no reason. And Obi-wan loves tea.' the voice grew quiet, reflective and somber. 'he's not been eating very well lately... give him some tea and he'll also eat a ration bar.'

CC-2224 decided he may as well. Giving food to others was not against the rules per se.

'There you go.' the voice encouraged.

'Who are you?' CC-2224 asked as he went to find some herbal packet in the mess to boil.

"My name is Cody, or at least I think it is.' The voice, Cody, admitted. 'It's possible we are even the same person and this separation is just the byproduct of order 66. Two halves of one whole. Both technically the same person, except you are the strict rigid side, whilst I am the more whimsical side.'

'I have a whimsical side?' CC-2224 deadpanned.

'I'm shocked too. Tea is in the upper cabinet on the right.' Cody pointed out when they entered the officer's lounge.

As the water warmed, CC-2224 went to fetch a ration bar. 'how well do you think Obi-wan is faring?" he asked his other self conversationally.

Cody sighed again. 'Not very well.'

Neither spoke as CC-2224 poured the water and began steeping the tea.

'Do you think there are others who have, um, somewhat circumvented order 66?' Cody's voice was distant, thoughtfully haunted as he spoke.

'not sure, I hope so.' CC-2224 thought, surprising himself with how much he meant it. He wasn't sure why the others mattered to him or why Cody even did but deep down, a part of him writhed at the idea the others had lost their internal 'voice'. Something about the existence of Cody was becoming very important to him. He didn't know why, but the more he spoke to it, the more CC-2224 grew to appreciate it and want to protect it.

CC-2224 paused. "This isn't right." he said aloud.

'What?'

"This is not proper protocol. I'm not following orders."

"Like I said,' unease slipping into Cody's tone. 'there aren't any-"

"A good soldier follows order."

"Please no, don't do this." the voice begged as CC-2224 started heading for reconditioning.

'Nooo,' Cody panicked, three rapid knocks slapped against the bars holding Cody in his cadge. 'remember you could be a farmer, you don't have to follow orders.'

but this time the words landed on deaf ears. "A Good Soldier Follows Orders." CC-2224 repeated exiting the lounge.

CC-2224 made a sharp right and ducked onto the lift, he felt a sharp hiccup from voice and realized, he was crying. It was almost enough to make him change his mind but he was tugged forward by the mantra of 'A Good Soldier follows Orders' racing through his thoughts.

When the lift doors opened, CC-2224 was met with a dark cloaked figure, the sith Lord, Darth Vader. "Lord Vader." CC-2224 acknowledged with a bow, spilling the steeping tea in the cup he absentmindedly still carried.

Darth Vader scowled down at him, then slowly he plucked the cup from his grasp. "What is this?" he asked, voice smooth and devoid of emotion.

CC-2224 kept his head tucked down as he spoke. "Tea, my Lord."

"I didn't know you drank tea."

"I don't, Lord Vader."

Vader knelt down and rased CC-2224's head with his gloved hand. "Then why do you have it?" He asked, blue eyes staring, assessing him carefully.

"I was bringing it to 081-1, I-I'm not sure why." He admitted, missing a brief flash of emotions that crossed Lord Vaders face.

"You mean Obi-wan, you were bringing tea for Obi-wan?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Isn't he on the bridge?"

"He is."

"Then why are you headed away from-"

"I was on my way to reconditioning. I believe I may be malfunctioning."

Vader stared at him for a long silent moment.

"Cody?" he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, firstly I wanna thank Yes_it_Really_is_Feeney for joining the team as my R&D department and second beta reader. Seriously, the information you have given me has really helped me understand the scope of what we are talking about in the coming chapters. And bouncing ideas off you has FINALLY fixed a huge hold-up for the story. Still haven't 100% decided how this will end yet, but thanks to you, it's a much more manageable ending.
> 
> As always, big thanks to my primary beta reader kitcatkim3. Your insight hasn't let me down so far and I thank you for continuously coming up with great ideas to solve plot holes I hadn't even noticed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sith happens... a lot of sith happens in this chapter.
> 
> SIDE NOTE: I've added a bit to the end of ch8, so I recommend reading it. It's not incredibly important, you don't have to read it (it's not necessary to understand the story or anything) and you won't miss anything by skipping it. But it does lay a foundation for what is to come. I always intended to add it when I wrote it but I forgot. Then I tried to tell myself it was ok but it's been nagging me all along. So I jumped back and slipped it in... but I kinda did the same with ch1 and you all forgave me, sooooo I figure it's ok cause I'm not a professional or anything. This should ultimately make the ending flow better rather than feel like a train coming out of the left field. So I hope you enjoy this extra-long update.

"Cody." Lord Vader whispered again as he pulled off CC-2224's helmet and stared down at him. His eyes shining blue and bright.

CC-2224 stared up at him in confused shock. ' How does he know?' CC-2224 wondered.

'Because, that's Anakin, Not Vader." Voice cheered. 'He knows we aren't just some number.'

Lord Vader pursed his lips before he grabbed CC-2224 by the arm and yanked him into a nearby conference room. Several other members of the 501 followed after him.

"Rex." Lord Vader called and a clone removed their helmet to revel it was CT-7567. The clone turned to stand next to the sith, together they faced CC-2224 and cautiously watched him.

"Should we..." CT-7567 made a small gesture to his head before his gaze slid back to Lord Vader.

Lord Vader shook his head. "I'm sorry but it's too risky for right now. We could get the signal at any moment and we can't afford to miss it. "

CT-7567 seemed to droop. "I understand." His voice soft and resigned.

CC-2224 stiffened, CT-7567 was too informal with Lord Vader. He should address him as 'Lord Vader' or 'sir' and not be so cavalier. Was this unit defective?' He glared at it.

'not 'IT', 'REX' remember? Your vod.' Voice persisted. CC-2224 shook his head, feeling dizzy.

"You ok Cody, um CC-2224?" The sith lord asked, carefully handing back his helmet.

"I'm alright Lord Vader. I just need to get to reconditioning."

Lord Vader's eyes widened before shifting his weight awkwardly from one foot to the next. His eyes briefly flicked to several other units in the room. "Ah, actually, I order you not leave my side. Aaaand... I order you to never go to reconditioning, understand?"

'that didn't make sense' CC-2224 though hesitantly.

'A good soldier follows orders.' Cody pointed out helpfully. And although there was no arguing with Cody's logic, CC-2224 was taken aback by the rush of excitement emanating from Cody. Though CC-2224 couldn't figure out why, Cody's cell was overflowing with a dense thrilling swell of adrenaline.

"Yes Lord Vader." CC-2224 whispered quietly as the room spun around him. Lord Vader reached out to steady him as he pitched to one side.

"Cody?" Rex asked, worriedly keeling at his side. "Are you all alright? Um, CC-22-?"

"I'm alright, I just don't understand what is happening." He panted as the Sith held him upright.

"It's alright, we'll take care of everything." The sith assured. "I'm" He hesitated before pulling CC-2224 in close. Was Lord Vader hugging him? "I'm so sorry Cody. For everything. I just didn't see what was happening right in front of me. I should have known Palpatine was a sith. He all but told me many times. I've been such a fool. Trusting the Chancellor all this entire time. Trusting him over Obi-wan and the council? It's just, I lost Obi-wan to his sickness and then Ahsoka when she left the order and I was so afraid I'd lose Padme too. He promised to save her." The young sith, no, the young Jedi continued as if seeking absolution. "I didn't care who it would hurt. I'm so sorry Cody. My selfishness blinded me and that mistake could cost us everything."

CC-2224 leaned against the sith as the man went on. Anakin's body shuddering against him as he held Cody closer. "I am so sorry. I promise I will fix this. We will get Obi-wan back. I promise."

"How?" Cody asked, and this time it truly was Cody. Somehow Voice's words had permeated the cell walls that held him back and had bubbled up to the surface.

CC-2224 could hear a gentle rub of fabric as Rex ran a calming hand along the Jedi's back.

"We have a plan, Cody." Anakin explained pulling away, but not by much. "I need you with me. You-"

Suddenly a beeping sound came from Skywalkers comm. He tapped at it and it flickered with the pale image of a Stormtrooper. "Sir, we have the initial survey you requested from the planet Degobah."

"It's ok Snipps." Skywalker said. "This is a secure channel."

With one quick motion, the stormtrooper pulled off their helmet to reveal Ahsoka Tano. "Thank the force, this bucket is pinching my montrals." The girls said, pulling her tails back in front of her and began massaging the peaks at the top of her head with a painful squint.

CC-2224 stiffened as he realized this was one of the few surviving Jedi, a traitor to the Empire. He reached for his personal com to alert the ship of her presence but Rex slapped his hand over it first.

"No, Cody, I mean CC-2224." Anakin corrected irritably. "I order you not to report her or anything we say here. You understand?"

He took a moment to digest what was going on. "Yes General." CC-2224 agreed with a nod. Rex and Skywalker gave him twin smiles as they both relaxed. They really are so much a like Cody said fondly.

"Master," Ahsoka cut in. "I'm sorry to interrupt but we are in position."

"Understood Ahsoka, thank you. We are on our way."

"Be careful master." The Togruta girl said, her hand raised and poised to disconnect the message.

"I will as long as you do." Anakin said with a grin. "May the force be with you."

"and also with you." Ahsoka said, and the message flickered out.

"Alright," Anakin said standing. "It's time we head to Dagoba and spring the trap to rescue the vod."

"Sir." Cody said, bypassing CC-2224 control once again. "What about Obi-wan? He and several other vod will remain aboard the ship."

As they all stood, Anakin placed a calming hand on CC-2224 shoulder. "Don't worry. I can't explain everything right now but Captain Rex will remain hidden somewhere on the Negotiator, he will be sabotaging things from the inside until reinforcements arive. I promise you, we will not abandon Obi-wan."

With a nod, Cody and CC-2224 pulled their bucket on and fell in line to follow the flapping cape of the... Sith? Jedi? (CC-2224 didn't know anymore) back on the bridge. The moment they entered, Cody zeroed in on Obi-wan and scowled at what he saw.

'Try not to show any emotion.' CC-2224 warned, not entirely sure why.

Cody nodded to his other half as they approached the figure, still frozen in the same place they had left him.

Obi-wan did not acknowledge them in any way as the small group neared. They were completely ignored as both the ration bar and tea were slid in front of him.

'You did this to him,' Cody hissed vehemently. Anger coiled inside of him as vicious and palpable as a threatened cobra. 'he loved you, trusted you and you did this to him!'

'... I know.' Was all CC-2224 could think to reply as he slunk back to his place beside Rex and the other vod. 'I know.' he thought again, and for once, Cody said nothing.

%%%%%%%%%%

081-1 stood at attention as Lord Vader approached accompanied by CC-2224 and those of the 501. This was the first time 081-1 had been given the honor of traveling with the sith apprentice but the planet they were approaching, had had a large amount of unusual activity recently and demanded an investigation from a force user. The Imperial Army had lost contact with several battalions, most recently, the 104th and the 327th. So the 212 and 501 were being sent to investigate, lead by Lord Vader just to assure the capture of whatever rebellion may have formed here.

081-1 stared ahead sightlessly as CC-2224 came close and left a ration bar and a cup of something just in front of him. He ignored the offering.

As CC-2224 backed away, Darth Vader neared. His steady steps faltered momentarily when the sith finally stood directly in front of 081-1.

"What are your orders Lord Vader." 081-1 inquired submissively, and despite following protocol, Vader flinched at his words. Then for reasons unknown, the sith slowly leaned down even closer. Lord Vader's gaze seemed to pear into 081-1's eyes, assessing him in some way. Tho the soldier couldn't figure out why or what he was looking for.

In response, 081-1 simply fell into the all-consuming mantra of a 'good soldier follows orders' and continued to vacantly stare ahead.

The sith paused for a moment till his hand cautiously reached up to gently brushed along 081-1's cheek lightly.

"I-I never meant for this." He said apropos of nothing. "I only wanted to help those I loved. Please, forgive me."

In response, 081-1 simply waited for orders. Nothing stirred inside him. Eventually, the sith seemed to drift aimlessly away.

A long stretch of time passed and gradually, the sith lord's breathing became labored. Out of the corner of his eye, 081-1 saw the black-clad force used back away against a bulkhead and buckle over. A loud retching sound tore from his throat and CT-7567 came rushing over to physically help the sith stand.

Whipping his mouth, Lord Vader sucked in a deep breath before he nodded and gave the order to prepare for departure.

With one last lingering glance in 081-1's direction, the sith sighed and moved on. His footstep's oddly heavy as he lumbered along.

081-1 remained on board as CC-2224 accompanied Lord Vader and the rest of the 501 and 212 down to the planet.

A few moments later, the entire team was silent. 081-1 tried to reestablish contact but to no avail.

Suddenly, a squadron of fighters darted towards Inquisitor I. 081-1 ordered all hands in a counter-attack.

The ship lurched and groaned as something collided with the hull and another barrage of fighters swarmed the destroyer. 081-1 began barking orders but it was too late. Several ships had breached their primary defenses and had landed in the hanger.

081-1 scanned the vessel, it's outer hull were comprised of large amounts of Beskar. No wonder it wasn't destroyed. 081-1 then turned his attention to the video feed from the hanger as several men in Mando'a armor lept out of the vessel clearly marked with spray paint as 'CF-99'. Without hesitation, they began shooting, no stunning, any troopers they came across.

As 081-1 observed, he realized the invading force's tactics and weapons were highly effective against them. Almost too effective. It was as tho they were well acquainted with the Imperial army's protocols and planned accordingly. Their blasters appeared to be specially modified to subdue the clones. Each shot sent out a wide fan of stunning blasts and knocked out large numbers of soldiers.

Tho the response of the invading unit was unpredictable and unorthodox, their methods gave impressive results. Could this be the elite (and missing) Clone Force 99?

He wasn't given long to consider as soon after, another fleet arrived and this time, the soldier's uniformity in size and shape made it obvious who they were, clones.

This was a trap 081-1 realized and he immediately gave the order to retreat by jumping into hyperspace. The ship pivoted in orbit as the star maps were quickly examined and a destination was set. At his signal, the sound of the engine revving filled the ship. Suddenly, an unexpected shuffling and clanking noise overtook the sound of the warp drive and with a pathetic puttering, the engine stopped.

081-1 stood shock-still on the bridge of Inquisitor I as he struggled to compartmentalized how expertly they were being defeated.

"Obi-wan!" Someone called from just behind him. As 081-1 turned, he was met with a familiar girl, Ahsoka Tano. One of the most wanted Jedi in the Galaxy.

"Grandmaster, please stop." She begged, her hilts still sat locked away at her hips. "I know you're in there." She continued, taking a cautious step forward. Her voice was urgent and earnest, as though she was trying to get him to come to his senses but 081-1 didn't understand what it was she was asking of him. Perhaps she thought he was someone else?

He dashed down the corridor towards the hanger and possible escape, stopping only to briefly strip a downed CT of their blaster. The Jedi traitor fell back momentarily as he fired down the long hall but she quickly closed the gap between them as he sprinted towards a rarely used hallway. The Jedi traitor's twin green blades flashed a neon glow that lit the walls as she blocked each shot he sent over his shoulder.

No matter where he ran, the troublesome Jedi proved too difficult to evade and remained tight on his heels. At this rate, she would no doubt wear him down, so as a last desperate attempt to elude his pursuer, he rounded the next corner and hid against a small cavity in the wall. As expected, the Jedi came careening around after him. As she darted past, 081-1 lept out and knocked her off balance, successfully gaining the upper hand.

Before she could recover, he latched onto her wrist and sharply twisted it backward. The surprise and sudden pain broke her grip on the saber and with an echoed clang, it tumbled to the ground. They continued to struggle in the small offshoot hallway but eventually, 081-1 managed to wrench the second blade free and, grabbing the hilt, he spun the weapon and plunged it downward.

"NOOOOO!" Someone screamed. Looking up, 081-1 was surprised to see CT-7567 dashing towards him. Twin blasters firing, pushing him away from the crying Togruta girl. Soon after, CC-5576 and CC-5539 swept through with Alpha 332.

081-1 blocked every stun as he fell back and slipped out the door. As it closed, he dashed down the corridor.

081-1 continued towards the hanger, avoiding as many arc troopers and Alphas as he could. It was impossible not to notice all the bodies of stunned troopers littering the halls. It was a disaster. In one failed mission, they had lost hundreds of troops. The rebels were just too organized, it was almost as if they had prepared for this attack over the course of several months, not the few weeks since the rise of the Empire. How could the rebels be this organized? How could they have prepared this quickly?

Finally, 081-1 ran into the nearly vacant hanger for the functional test star ships and jumped into a prototype called the tie fighter. He immediately began the startup sequence but with a disinterested shudder, it refused to start. He ran a quick diagnostic only to find someone had removed the ignition cables and drained the power supply by cutting the connection to the power converter. He pulled himself up and out of the fighter just as several insurgent clones flooded the hanger. Hopping down, 081-1 raised the green blade he'd taken from the Jedi and, without preamble, he walked out to the ring of traitors that surrounded his ship.

They raised their weapons as a cohesive unit and began blasting. 081-1 wielded the foreign blade like a seasoned veteran. Some unseen energy lending him speed and strength to his movements. He countered each blast by blocking each shot with a fluid choreography of a practiced dancer. The troopers managed to keep 081-1 at bay but he, in turn, was able to hold his own against them. He swung the blade elegantly in a kana pattern that he somehow knew and yet didn't. It was all a familiar dance that he'd never known... Like something from another lifetime.

A door swished open and CT-7567 came in with the Togruta girl leaning heavily on him for support. They stood back in the doorway and watched as 081-1 parried every blast.

081-1 didn't know how long he lasted like that. Somehow drifting into a meditative state, but something brushed against him. The unseen energy from before, rising up from a fog to surround him. 'Rest' it said. And in one moment of weakness, he pulled the saber back just far enough to allow one shot passed his defenses.

He crumpled to the ground and darkness swallowed him whole.

%%%%%%%%%%

Meanwhile, in orbit above Coruscant

The Separatist Geonosian leader clicked unhappily. "I never thought there would come a day when I would find myself fighting for the Jedi." He admitted.

Mace smiled calmly. "It is for your own freedom that you fight." he reminded. "The emperor has not kept his promise to you and your people. If you truly wish for separatist independence, we will recognize your status as independent from the Republic once the Empire has fallen."

"Yes," The insectoid leader clicked once more. "Only time will tell if you will keep your word."

Mace nodded as he crossed his arms. "Just get our people to the Emperor's palace and our forces will do the rest."

"As you say, Jedi." The Geonosian chirped.

As the ship swung low into the city, a military convoy flew out to meet them. "Seoperatist vessel." A familiar voice of a clone warned through the com. Mace hid a flinch as they continued. "You are approaching city space. Please return to orbit or we will open fire."

Master Plo Koon stepped forward, nervously fidgeting with his robes as he crossed his arms. "We can cripple the ship without destroying it." The master suggested.

Mace sighed, of course Plo Koon would be more nervous for the clones than for himself. Plo would no doubt continue to be the strongest advocate for the clones once they began to rebuild the Republic.

"Do as he says." Mace ordered and the Geonosians opened fire, taking out the weapons system on the other ship.

"Evasive maneuvers." The separatist leader clicked.

The ship swung around a sky pillar and sped towards the Palace, dropping all pretense of legal space travel. They dove and dodged their way to the steps of the palace building.

"We will divert their attention off of you as long as we can." The leader called as Mace and Plo turned to make their way to the hanger. "We will keep our side of the bargain, Jedi. Now remember to do yours."

"We will." Mace called, ducking out the door after the Kel Dor.

The Geonosian just scowled. "May the force be with you." he muttered, half sarcastic and half as a prayer.

Mace lept off the ship onto the landing platform, not waiting for the ship to dock before he charged into the senet building. Plo Koon, Quinlan Vos, Yoda and a small contingent of Mandalorians and clones dashed after him.

The company fought their way up the steps, subduing and knocking out as many clones as they could till they reached the Sith Lords Chambers. As the group came barreling through the doors, the corrupt politician ignited his blade and squared off with a grizzly chuckle.

"In the name of the fallen Republic," Mace announced opening up into the starting Vaapad stance. "You are under arrest."

"It's treason then." Sidious growled, just then a barrage of bounty hunters came smashing through the wide window at the sith's back, effectively cutting off his last means of escape. Before the glass had even settled, the bounty hunters had their weapons zeroed in on the confused sith.

"What?" Sidious rasped, whipping his head back and forth as he took in the sight of each group of attackers. "How is this possible?" he shrieked angrily as he was surrounded from all sides by dozens of the most accomplished hunters, warriors and fighters in the galaxy.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Mace answered, his purple lightsaber glowed as he parried a strike of lightning tossed at him from the siths's hands. "and in your quest for power, you have given the Jedi many friends."

"Taken the clones back, we have." Master Yoda announced to the cornered the sith, "And in the name of all those you have manipulated and deceived: The Jedi, the senate, the Republic, the Mandalorians and even the Separatists, destroy you, we will. Poisoned us against ourselves you have but realized your treachery, we have. A mistake you have made, miscalculated you have."

It wasn't often a Jedi spoke with such vitreal, but Master Yoda kept a note of calm as he gave his impassioned speech.

Just then, a Mandalorian stepped out and stood shoulder to shoulder with Mace and Master Yoda, "This isn't just about the Jedi." They said. "Darth Sidious, you have used and abused the entire galaxy. Deceived the Mandalorians into a civil war, twisted the truth and supported the terror organization known as Death Watch. You have driven our entire planet into chaos. The damage and loss of life at your hands' has angered us all."

A low growl rumbled in agreement out of the newly unchipped clone commander Wolf. The clone's blaster kept laser-focused on his target as he also stepped forward. "You have raped the minds of my brothers." he sneered. "Enslaved us, and turned us against those we swore to protect... we will not stand for it." beside him, Master Plo rested a steady hand on his shoulder. Wolf nodded his thanks but didn't take his eyes off the sith threat.

The general patted his commander's shoulder once more, in support, before he dropped his hand and raised his weapon. "When faced with such overwhelming darkness," Plo Koon began "the light must come out to meet it in kind. Your actions have roused a fury that unites us all."

"The light side of force burns around us." Vos agreed.

Jedi Master Mace Windu scanned the room, quick and assessing, till his eyes locked back on Darth Sidious. "And on behalf of Obi-wan Kenobi, who you have interfered with the force recovery of, you will be stopped."

Despite all the power the sith lord was capable of welding, when the room finally descended upon him, the emperor didn't stand a chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna say, THIS CHAPTER was not as cooperative as it could have been. I'm still not 100% happy with it but I need to stop working on it. I'm done, NO MORE! I seriously almost DNF'd this story cause getting ALLL these elements to work the way I wanted them to, well... Let's just say there were SEVERAL drafts ranging from, ALL the Jedi die in order 66 and AND Obi-wan manages to escape and return to Palps and becomes the new Vader. (YEAH, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO MAKE A HAPPY ENDING FROM THAT!?!) to Cody and CC-2224 just make tea together... that's it. the entire chapter was a bonding moment between Cody and his other half. 
> 
> Honestly, I don't know why this chapter was so hard but it was. I stopped and stepped back several times and both my Beta readers were incredibly supportive and helped me figure things out. PLUS you guys in the comments, gosh, you kept me focused on what this story should be. So thank you to everyone.
> 
> Also, now is the time I need your feedback the most. (I know I've said this before but it's true) I am working on the last few chapters and I'm trying to give everything a resolution. All along I've been writing little reminders to myself to make sure certain loose ends get addressed. Problem is, I always forget at least one or two things. So now is the time for you guys to remind me. Please think back and consider what you may have questions about or things I have not brought to a conclusion. What characters do you want a proper farewell to? and what do you hope will happen. 
> 
> I can not promise I'll be able to deliver on everything but I'll do my best. Thank you for reading and sticking with me this long. I never expected to make it this far in the story. (remember this was supposed to end at ch 3? lol Ah, was I ever so young and naive? XD)


	12. Chapter 12

Alpha 17 stood over the unconscious form of Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi. Beside him, the surrounding ARC troopers and quirky Bad Batch members were eerily quiet.

"Let's get him back to Healer Che." Rex ordered, his voice soft and clear as it drifted into the air like a haunting melody. Alpha nodded once, momentarily glancing back as the blond hobbled deeper into the room with General Tano leaning heavily against him.

With a weighted sigh, Alpha knelt down and began to gently arrange the unconscious man's body into a better position where he could lift.

Over his shoulder, the others began to fuss over General Tano, but Alpha couldn't take his eyes off the smooth features of the general of the 212. He looked so much younger than Alpha had ever seen him. His slackened expression almost made him look harmless but after witnessing the heartbreaking lengths the brainwashed man would go to, Alpha kept a wary watch till the force cuffs were brought to him.

Alpha had served beside General Kenobi in the beginning of the Clone Wars and had come to respect the Jedi more than any other of the Generals he had since served under. Kenobi was very much suited to war, his mind fit for brilliant tactics and battle schemes, yet in a cruel paradox, General Kenobi was, at heart, a pacifist. His battle plans always opted for the best and safest result for the vod. He never wasted the life of the so called replaceable men under him.

Technically the man was no longer a General in the eyes of the Jedi but the injustice of that irritated Alpha and his other vod. Stripping someone of a well-deserved rank was just wrong and as such, Alpha any many others saw his new rank as a demotion. As such, many did not respect it and fell into the large group of vod who continued to refer to him as General. The only real exception, ironically, was the 212, they seemed to use the title of admiral as a nickname. Perhaps something that made him more kin to the vod? The General they called Admiral.

But Alpha could not make the change to Admiral except if he here directly ordered too.

Alpha rested his hand on the sleeping Jedi as hurried footsteps neared and Alpha was handed the large force suppressing cuffs.

"Sorry General." He said as he slipped the cruel device onto the man. As expected, he gave no response.

As he lift the limp form of the man he respected, Alpha couldn't help feel pity. Over the last few weeks and months the General had lost so much.

A small slow procession dragged behind Alpha's heels as he made his way to the dropship headed back to the planet.

Even without the force, the guilt that hung over all the vod was palpable. Where ever Alpha walked, the vod would part for him to pass as he carried the man. Not just stepping out of his way but to back against a wall and cast thair eyes to the floor in shame. Alpha knew that if the general were awake, he'd be very displeased with their actions... but Alpha couldn't blame them. They had betrayed their own General, not intentionally but the guilt still persisted.

He stepped onto the shuttle headed for the planet's surface and the medical team that awaited them. As the doors close, Alpha stood alone on the vessel. Funny how they had always seemed so small, always cramped inside with 20 or so other vod, but now it was remarkably spacious and sad. An empty reminder of what he himself had lost at the hands of the Empire and Sith.

All things considered, Alpha was one of the lucky ones. Vod such as Cody could not easily pass the blame for what had happened to their General onto others. No, Alpha had not directly participated in having the chip implanted into him and once Cody's chip was finally removed, no vod would envy him. The anticipated guilt alone had already resulted in his blaster being taken away.

Alpha clenched the bunch of gray fabric the Jedi in his arms wore. It should be soft robes in flowing cream fabric, instead it was the grey of an admiral. Just another example of how the Obi-wan had been abandoned by his own kind. The excuse had been the inflexible tradition of regulations, regs that prioritized rules above the needs of living feeling human beings. Something the vod had also developed an intolerance for.

As the doors clanged open, every eye turned to face him, or more accurately, his charge. His footsteps echoed ominously as eavh vod kept still, just watching the sleeping General in his arms.

A stretcher rolled forward with a tell tell growl of age, one wheel squealing disinterest as it skidded off-center as tho complaining it couldn't go the direction it wished. The gurney stopped at Alpha's side and he waited for Madic to adjust the position of the cot head. As Alpha stood in the quiet hanger, he noticed just how filled the quiet room was. Dozens and dozens of various vod from units all throughout the GAR, all unchipped and all drowning in guilt.

Stitches jogged over beside Medic and before Alpha had even laid the General down, a sedative had been administered.

General Che slowly approached as well and Alpha had to remind himself she was not the one at fault. It was the system that was the problem. It was the system that had implanted them all with obedience chipps and called it discipline, it was the system that called it necessary to control the army, it was the system that demanded Obi-wan relinquish his rank, it was the system that had collapsed in on itself and revealed just who was in charge all along... It was a system designed by the sith to make them fall.

As Alpha stood back he watched as Medic hastily clicked the belts of the stretcher secure around the General. He had no qualms about another vod working over the man but the moment the Jedi neared, Alpha felt a protective growl escape his clenched teeth. Without showing any sign of hearing him, Master Che got to work giving a rapid assessment of her patient.

"We've got this general." Stitches insisted, gently nudging her out of the way.

Apparently Alpha wasn't the only one who held a bit of a grudge against the Jedi for their recent treatment of Kenobi. Alpha didn't hold back a bitter smile.

"Very well," The healer agreed, slowly nodding her head. "If there is anything you need, I will be in my office." She turned and left without any acknowledgment she'd been heard.

Stitch scowled irritably. "Let's get him to medical and remove this thing."

Alpha stood and watched with the others and they took the general away. He felt warn, the war, the Jedi the abuse of Kenobi... it all drained down to one thing. The clones were sick of the way things were. It would be up to them to change things. The Jedi and Republic wouldn't, they couldn't be trusted anymore. Tho the clones still cared for their Jedi, those that were kind to them in return at least, but that didn't mean the Jedi were fit to take care of things anymore. The Jedi were in over their head and by creed, they were trapped. Victims of a corrupt Republic. Yes, Alpha thought as he turned to go back to the Negotiator, yes, things were going to change.

%%%%%%%%%

The general's chip was removed without complication but because he was a full-grown adult when the chip was implanted, his recovery time was much longer than it was for the vod. General Kenobi's prolonged healing had also turned into a bit of a contentious political battle between the Jedi and vod. The Jedi believed Obi-wan should heal on Alderaan, their temporary Jedi base. The vod, on the other hand, insisted he be allowed to heal on board the Negotiator. For the time being the General was moved to a medical facility on Alderaan but Commander Cody and the rest of the 212 were proving quite adept at garnering support in the new senate. As a result, the council knew it was only a matter of time before Obi-wan was once again transferred back to complete his recovery onboard the Negotiator.

Currently, General Kenobi remained asleep in a well-guarded recovery room on Alderaan. A signup sheet was placed on the wall outside his room and many vod from all over the GAR jumped at the chance to keep watch.

After two days of waiting, Alpha-17 was finally able to stand at the Jedi's the door. Beside him a shiny twitched and fidget nervously, occasionally the shiny just couldn't help himself and he'd turn around completely to see into the room. This certainly was not proper protocol and a part of Alpha wanted to lecture the young soldier but... what for? The war was over and the shiny sported a freshly painted gold signifying himself as a member of the 212. Out of the corner of his eye, Alpha saw the young vod clench a small object in his hands.

"What's your name kid?" Alpha said still facing forward.

The kid sharply turned towards him and stiffened up, as tho he'd forgotten Alpha was even there.

"Um, B-Blip sir." He stammered, quickly reverting to a regulation guard pose.

The silence dragged on and the shiny began to twitch again.

Alpha sighed. "Go on kid," He said, pointing into the room with a nod of his head.

Blip looked in at his General and gave an almost audible gulp before hastily looking back to Alpha 17.

"Thank you, sir." he said with a salute. "I'll just be a minute."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this but I got excited that the ending was in sight and I had several other projects that required my attention, as a result, this section was rushed and I was never really happy with this transition. So I went back and added this chapter between ch 11 and 12 (now ch 13) sorry for any confusion this may have caused but I got ahead of myself. 
> 
> Hope you guys can understand. I'm also adding a few minor changes to later chapters. Nothing big.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is over and there is no going back for any of them.
> 
> Jedi and clones alike must pick up the pieces of what remains of their lives and start new. 
> 
> Both will find the price of war is great, even for those who survive it.

Blip sat with his back straight, head bowed as he looked down at the wheels of the Admiral's bed. He clenched his sweaty palms and licked his chap lips. "I painted my armor." He announced to the quiet room. "I cut my hair and made a brush out of it with some wire and a broken piece of a clanker, but it wroked well enough considering i didn't really have the option of ordering any brushes." he paused before continuing. "The vod are working hard to reform the republic and salvage the senate. The Separatists have been allowed to leave but many of them opted to remain anyway. Now that we're rebuilding I think they saw it as a better solution to starting over alone. So I guess the war was meaningless after all."

Blip sighed despondently as he looked back to Admiral Obi-wan.

"Commander Cody's been worried sick about you." Blips soft voice drifted through the small recovery room as Admiral Obi-wan continued to sleep. "Well, we all have. You're one of us after all and of course we'd be worried over you. We all want you to get better as soon as you can." He lapsed into silence as he continued to keep watch. The still and quiet reflective calm dragged on for several moments before the shiny took a deep breath and leaned forward to pat his Admiral's shoulder. "My time is almost up. Some other vod will take my place cause we all want to be with you, so it's a really fast rotation. I wish I could have talked to you tho... but, I wanted you to have this."

Blip leaned forward and placed a smooth object into the limp hand of the sleeping man.

"It's a wood carving of Commander Cody's helmet. I know Jedi aren't allowed many possessions but I figured if it was something of Commander Cody's, well, I figured you'd want to keep it... and I just wanted to make you something you'd want to keep."

Silence settled around the room once more.

"Hey, Blip" another voice said from behind him and turning around, Blip smiled up at Ahsoka. "How's he doing?" she asked sliding into the open seat beside Blip.

Blip shrugged. "Don't really know. Kix and Bones are drilling the temple healers like they are shiny's caught with contraband."

Ahsoka laughed but it was without humor. The room fell silent again...

"He hasn't woken up yet, I'm worried. Worried like when he first got sick." Blip admitted not taking his eyes off his Admiral.

"Master Obi-wan is strong," Ahsoka said matter a factly. "He's been through worse."

"Has he?" the shiny asked shyly. "All due respect sir but I don't think he has. None of us have." the young clone stared ahead as he continued. "We had chips in our brains that forced us to kill those we called family, those we called brother."

Ahsoka moved to say something but Blip continued on.

"And you and the other Jedi, you had to somehow survive as thousands of people you trusted suddenly turned on you. We hunted you like, like," His voice shook as he struggled to finish his sentence but he just couldn't. Instead, he clenched his hands that rested on his knees and changed to a different tangent. "I-I remember when he first got sick, we were so worried, we had this huge cuddle pile and we all sat around together and everything. It was nice and safe and calm. It felt like we weren't soldiers... and I want that back. That moment where we were all warm and snuggled up and everyone was safe... except we weren't safe, we were a ticking time bomb, set to go off at the whim of a mad man and there was nothing we could do about it."

"It wasn't your fault." Ahsoka cut in as Blip's tone became bitter. "I know many have already told you and your brothers this but it's true. But I also understand that knowing it is not your fault isn't the same as believing it isn't your fault. and even then, it doesn't offer any more answers for how to move on, but Blip, I get the feeling something more specific is bothering you. Can I ask what it is?"

Blip ducked his head and glanced at his former General and Admiral. "I'm torn," he admitted. "I want Admiral Obi-wan to get better no matter what and I know he would be happier if he had the force back but, If the healers are right and the Sith were interfering with his force recovery, then that means he'll get the force back and..."

"And you're worried that it means you will lose him. That if this war is over then..."

"Then he isn't our admiral or general anymore. He'd have no reason to come see us."

"Oh Blip." Ahsoka shook her head fondly. "If there is one thing I've learned from my time away from the Jedi, it's this." Blip looked up at her with bright eyes as she continued, her voice slow, calm and low. "The Jedi don't have all the answers. This war has changed so many of us. And you're right, we can't go back in time to those soft cuddle pile moments, but that doesn't mean something better isn't out there waiting for us. We are all on the precipice of something new. A new beginning for the Republic and the Jedi." Ahsoka reached out and held Blip's hand as she continued. "Even the Jedi can not go back to the warm hole they were in before the war. The universe has changed. But I firmly believe that this coming change is for the betterment of the order and will include the clones. You will not be abandoned, Blip. You are our vod, too." She said seriously. "the clones were made for the Jedi, and now it is time we take care of you. I can't speak for master Obi-wan, but if I know him at all, he will not abandon you."

Tears Blip didn't even realize he had shed, spilled down his face as Ahsoka pulled him close. "The war is over." she said. "Now it is time to heal."

%%%%%%%%%

Obi-wan woke slowly. A thick blanket of calm hung over him and tentatively and experimentally, he reached out into it and was answered back by a foggy mass. It hung around him as he hazily and cautiously tested the new sensation. The strange substance moved sluggishly against him. It's unfamiliar texture confused him but as he explored its murky depths, he realized what he was swimming in... The force.

Its current was harder to grasp than it should have but it was there. The giddy realization startled him into full wakefulness and Obi-wan wasted no time and dove back into the force. He allowed it to envelope him, to swirl and flow around him happily. The joyous sensation joined by a swell of ardent protectiveness, chased by the feelings of belonging. But as he floated in the force, he noticed the direction of some of the feelings were, off... These feelings were not all from the force. Obi-wan breathed out a surprised huff before latching tightly to the distinctive force presence of his commander.

"Sir?" Cody said as concern spiked around them. "Obi-wan are you alright?"

"Yes, cyare" Obi-wan whispered groggily. His voice, soft and rough with disuse. As Obi-wan opened his blue eyes he looked up directly into pools of worried caramel of Codys own. Cody hovered above him mere inches from his face.

"Cyare" Cody whispered reverently as a glistening veil of tears coated his eyes before the commander rapidly blinked away the moisture.

Slowly, Obi-wan reached up with a heavy hand to stroke along the back of Cody's head and neck, the man leaned into the motion and a quiet sob broke from him before it could be quelled. Obi-wan said nothing, simply gently ran a comforting hand as the commander had done with him so many times.

A shuffle from the door drew Obi-wan's attention. Anakin hung in the doorway but once their eyes met the boy's gaze skidded away. "I'm sorry, I'll come back later." he said moving to leave.

"No, Anakin," He whispered hoarsely. It came out as little more than a breath but Cody gripped his arm and turned to the retreating Jedi knight. "Sir, Please don't go." Cody's voice was warm and honest. "Sir, he needs you."

It was more emotionally blunt than Obi-wan would have been or what he expected from Cody, but admittedly, it was no less true. Obi-wan's days of being a disembodied consciousness, lifelessly caught and submerged in the undertow that was order 66, had left him emotionally brittle and raw. He couldn't say for sure what he had said and done. His memories of the moments after the chip had been implanted were like looking at life through a pinhole but he remembered enough. Just the feeling memory of Anakin gently stroking his face, pleading eyes searching for life but finding none because Obi-wan had fully and completely given up. Shame gripped him like a physical grasp. He had abandoned his padawan, Cody the entire Jedi order.

The force rippled around him and Obi-wan could feel a brittle shell encase Cody and Anakin. It mirrored his own duality, rotating between desperate need of wanting to reach out and connect with others but also the desire to collapse and be alone in grief and guilt. The room stank of remorse and regret.

Anakin hung in the doorway as he grappled with his thoughts behind a barrier Obi-wan couldn't hope to fully interpret in his weakened state.

"Please." Obi-wan whispered and at his words, the boy's shoulders drooped and slowly he turned around. Anakin's eyes were dark and sad. It broke Obi-wan's heart to see his former padawan holding such pain at bay. "What is it Anakin? He coaxed softly and Cody squeezed his hand in comfort.

Anakin just looked down at his hands, "how are you feeling?" he said quietly.

Obi-wan sighed, "I'm fine." he smiled as Anakin sent a sharp glare his way. "I'm relatively fine." he amended. "The healers have been taking very good care of me." He looked to Cody and silently pleaded that he wouldn't tell Anakin he'd just woken up and hadn't met with his healers yet. Cody scowled but gave a small nod. to which Obi-wan gave a grateful little smile. The entire exchange all happened beyond Anakin's notice.

"Anakin." Obi-wan sighed, turning back to the young distracted knight. "Please, I sense you're discontent. Please, tell me what's wrong."

"I just wanted to to..." The boy hung his head as he continued to fumble with his explanation. His hands clenched at his sides and his breathing sped up... "To see how you're doing... to to, say I'm sorry Master. I wasn't there for you. For any of this, when you were so sick and you couldn't get out of bed." An emotional dam cracked at his words and memory pried it open, splitting Anakin's heart till it burst like a geyser. Streams of tears ran down his young face as he buried his head in his hands. "I didn't visit you like I should have, I didn't. I."

"You were overwhelmed." Obi-wan supplied kindly. "We both were. The force sickness side effects proved awkward for the both of us. It introduced the idea of a separation we simply weren't prepared for. I don't blame you."

Anakin shook his head. "Force, I've screwed everything up so much, you have no idea."

"What happened?" Obi-wan said as he stamped back a wary stab of fear and released it into the force. He patted the side of his bed, offering the boy a place at his side and hoped Anakin would explain soon.

Cautiously, Anakin approached but did not sit. Instead he stood at Obi-wan's bedside, opposite Cody. Shame and guilt weighed him down like he'd come in from a torrential downpour. "It turns out Palpatine was the Sith Lord we were searching for."

"Palpatine? As in Chancellor Palpatine?" Obi-wan breathed out, sucking in a breath only when Anakin nodded his confirmation.

"All this time, we've been lead by, by a Sith." He hissed, laying back down. Then he shot up with a gasp. "Anakin! He was your mentor!"

Anakin avoided eye contact as his master grappled with the new and terrifying realization.

"Oh gods Anakin, I have truly failed you." He mourned staring up at the ceiling.

"What?" Anakin spat as shock rippled in the force, sharp and grading enough to make Obi-wan wince. Sensing his distress, Anakin quickly threw his shields back up. "I'm sorry Master, It's just, this was not your fault."

"And it is most certainly is not yours, my young padawan." Obi-wan turned to stare at Anakin but the boy seemed to remain in disbelief. Obi-wan scowled as he reached out into the remnance of their force bond and sent a wave of affection towards the young Knight. Anakin straightened in surprise as Obi-wan spoke, tranquil and fond. "Sometimes I forget you were a kid who grew up in a war. You were a Padawan when this all began and now you are almost a Master." Obi-wan offered a small smile. "I haven't said it enough, but I am proud of you Anakin."

Anakin shook his head. "You shouldn't be.

Obi-wan desperately looked to Cody then back to Anakin. "Please, I need to know what I'm missing. What happened?"

Without looking up, Anakin began to explain what had transpired. "After order 66 was given, the surviving Jedi convened on a remote Jedi temple. I'm not sure where as I was not given that information." Anakin explained.

"Why not?"

Anakin was quiet for a long moment before continuing. "Because of my close involvement with the chancellor, he wanted me to become his apprentice. "

At his words, a powerful dread coiled menacingly around Obi-wan and became physically chilled at the horrifying reveal. Suddenly, a warm wash of calm flowed up from the force bond as Anakin continued. "Master Windu snuck a force suppressant into one of my meals and when it started working, he explained what was going on to me. Apparently the Sith lord had already started to impair my judgment with the dark side. When I was finally able to see things clearly without his interference, I realized just how far I had fallen. I could finally see just how close I was to destroying everything. I was willing to give up the entire order, even you, for power and I tried to coat my greed in altruism. I deceived myself by saying I was doing it to save others. The truth was, I just wanted power."

Anakin hung his head as the truth of his words sang it's haunting melody in the force. Obi-wan finally sat up. "Come here Anakin." He ordered as he reached out with both arms to hug the boy close. This time Anakin didn't even try to argue, instead he gratefully fell into the arms of his true master. Like the boy he was no longer, he tucked himself under Obi-wan's chin before he continued his tale.

"Once the council had realized the Troops were being controlled by chips, they set up several traps to capture as many battalions as they could. I remained on the inside with the 501, who had been completely unchipped at this point. When the time came to confront Sidious, the council encouraged me to volunteer to investigate the missing Battalions and rescue you. But I think they just wanted me as far away from the influence of the Dark Lord as possible. Palpatine had said my mission was to figure out what was happening to the ships and to make sure," Anakin gulped and gave a faint, almost unconscious tug on Obi-wan's side as he paused. He took in a steadying breath before he spoke, soft and distant. "to make sure you were keeping in line." His words were whispered so quietly Obi-wan barely heard them even from his place on Obi-wan's chest. Obi-wan just hugged him closer with one arm and with the other, the Jedi master just ran a soothing hand along the boys hair. Long moments passed before Anakin shook himself out of the stupor he'd fallen into, and he continued. "The Council wanted me to come and make sure you were safe and to unchip as many Battalions as possible wail the others took on Palpatine. The council had planned for both missions to be carried out at the same time so the sith lord wouldn't get suspicious if you went missing but also if he managed to escape, Sidious couldn't get to you before we could."

Obi-wan let his head drop back against the headboard of his bed as he absorbed Anakin's words. He was exhausted and shell-shocked at what he had just heard. "How many Jedi survived the order?"

Anakin finally looked up at him and smiled. "A lot, thanks to you."

"I don't understand."

"then he's not explaining it right."A voice from the doorway teased prompting Anakin to bolt out of the comfortable hung they had been sharing. Quinlen leaned against the door frame with a shit-eating grin across his face. Beside him, Mace casually folded his arms and nodded in greeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has gotten this far. woo, this was drama filled. Still a bit of angst left in the tank but we are running on fumes. So no worries. Happy ending in sight.
> 
> HUGE SIDE NOTE: I had to split up the exposition into two chapters. It was getting long. So you'll find out who didn't survive order 66 next chapter. Also, special shout out to "Yes I really am Fenrir" for the idea of drugging Anakin. They said it in the comment section and I think they were joking but my gosh, the eureka moment it inspired saved this fic. Not even joking cause I didn't know how to make Anakin NOT be Darth Vader. (and that needed to happen if this was going to have a happy ending and If I couldn't make the ending happy, like I promised, then I wasn't going to finish it) THIS was the annoying hang up I've been complaining about for several chapters. Now that it's over I can Finally work on the ending. \\(◕ヮ◕)/


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guilt tarnishes relationships all around and Obi-wan learns the universe is very different to what it was when he last saw it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those of you wondering what happened to the new chapter... I've added a new ch12. I was never happy with that transition and I got a comment that I 1,000% agreed with. So I went back and added what was needed and I added a few things to ch 13 as well. Nothing big, just a bit for Anakin and Blip.
> 
> Sorry for the confusion, this is still a work in progress and all these changes are made to make the ending even better. Thank you for reading.

"May we come in?" Master Windu asked but before anyone could respond, Cody stood up with an audible gasp.

"Vos?" Cody all but shouted. "but we, I killed you." He shouted, jumping protectively between Obi-wan and the other Jedi. "Sir, we hunted him to a cave on Utapau and, and" Cody's voice faltered.

"Cody." Mace said gently, "I know this may be hard to hear but I need you to listen." Cody nodded but still looked warily at Vos. Mace gave Quinlan a curt non and the shadow of the order began his tale. It wasn't incredibly detailed, perhaps for Cody's benefit, so the man wouldn't be triggered into reliving the events any more than he already had been.

"After being shot down, I managed to make it to a cave where I tried to contacted Obi-wan's personal com, in an attempt to warn him but it was jammed. Around the same time, I was located by a few members of Ghost Company. Because the cave system I was in was so cramped and small, I only needed to use a mind trick on a few of them to get them to believe I had been crushed in a cave in. I only needed one or two witnesses to my death. Afterwards, I managed to contact Mace using the secure channels we'd put in place in the event order 66 turned out to be real."

"In the event order 66...?" Obi-wan's words trailed off. "That sounds like you already knew about the order?"

"Well, thanks to you we did." Quin grinned widely at Obi-wan's utter confusion.

Mace sighed. "What he means is, we took your vision seriously." and after a weighted pause, Mace clarified. "Order 66 was the order the Sith used to trigger the chips to have the Clones turn against the Jedi."

Cody seemed to coil in on himself at the words and Obi-wan made a mental note to talk with him about it later. For now, he reached out to offer a comforting hand but Cody pulled away. Trying not to let it bother him, Obi-wan turned his attention back to Mace. "I remember an order was given in my dream but I don't quite remember all the details. There was just so much that happened and I tried my best to forget as much of it as I could once, well..." he hung his head "once I concluded it was fake."

This time Cody gently brushed his fingertips along Obi-wan's arm. Not fully touching him, just enough to provide a supportive contact. Apparently Cody could give comfort but he was resistant to receive it. Obi-wan filed that away for later consideration.

"It wasn't fake." Mace assured, interrupting Obi-wan's thoughts. "and although we could not act on it till after the Sith made their move, we were prepared enough to have safeguards in place to protect the order based on what you described in your vision." Mace boldly walked into the room and seated himself opposite of Cody and beside Obi-wan. "We even had a hidden communications network set up so we could communicate in secret over long distances with coded signals. Something that would have otherwise taken months, maybe even years to plan, came together in hours because we had the ability to organize with greater resources. We even planned out safe places where the younglings could be kept out of harm's way, or places we could meet at safely or to rest when necessary."

Right, Obi-wan thought with a scowl. The secret safe places Anakin wasn't allowed to go to.

Mace sighed again as he continued. "But, we couldn't act prematurely, we need to be absolutely sure what you saw was a true vision. And even though we didn't know exactly how things would transpire, you still gave us just enough of a warning that many of the order survived the initial attack. Those that had heeded your vision were cautious enough that many were able to avoid their execution when order 66 was carried out. Masters such as Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Aayla Secura, Jaro Tapal and Shakk Ti to name a few."

"How many knew abou-"

"All of them." Mace said with a deep frown. "I sent an audio recording to every Jedi in the order."

"Just the audio?" Obi-wan questioned eyes sliding mischievously to Cody who did a poor job at hiding his own guilty smirk.

Mace, on the other hand, didn't crack a smile. "No," he said calmly "Something seemed to have damaged the visual of the recording, so I was only able to send it as an audio. But seeing as how you find it so amusing, I may be able to repair the-"

"No, that's alright." Cody and Obi-wan assured in unison.

Anakin and Quinlan both raised a questioning brow in response.

"But why would you believe me?" Obi-wan asked instead. "You had every reason to assume I was imagining the vision. So why believe me?"

"Well," Mace said easily. "It came down to trust, my friend. And although you were in a place where you could not trust yourself unequivocally, I could, um, see just how seriously you were taking the vision. It gave me some estimation of how convinced you were it was actually real. In fact, you didn't begin to truly doubt yourself until I suggested otherwise. And as strange as it may seem, I trust you. We all trust you."

Obi-wan nodded feeling affection feed into him from all the Jedi in the room. "thank you." he uttered seriously. Eyes scanning each person in the room. "Thank you." he repeated.

"We are the ones who should be thanking you." Mace continued. "After everything you've been through. You saved us all."

Obi-wan ducked his head at the fervent praise. The gratitude directed towards him was made him flush with embarrassment. It was such an odd feeling, he didn't know how to properly process it, so he released it into the force. The force, in turn, excepted it was an almost amused chuckle.

"I understand you are not yet at your full strength yet, Master Kenobi." Obi-wan nodded, head still down as his feelings morphed into shame. "Although, your connection to the force is still fragile, we do not intend to leave you behind." Mace pointed out and from his robes, he withdrew the familiar lightsaber hilt. "You will be needing this." The Jedi master said, proudly presenting Obi-wan his saber.

"We will be with you, Master Kenobi." Mace promised as Obi-wan took his hilt back.

The hilt was freshly polished and rested comfortably in his hands.

"Thank you, Master Windu." Obi-wan whispered, his voice just not strong enough to produce much sound. A warm had rested on his shoulder.

"I'll go get you a glass of water."Cody assured. With a nod he left, only hesitating at the doorway for a half second longer than necessary.

Obi-wan cleared his throat before looking back at the other Masters. "Where am I?"

"Currently? A medical center on Alderann." Mace informed him. "Tho I wouldn't suggest getting use to it. There has been heavy pressure on behalf of the clones to see you transferred back to the Negotiator once you are awake."

Obi-wan pursed his lips thoughtfully as Mace continued.

"It seems the 212 has picked up quite a bit of diplomacy from you. Your own Commander has petitioned the council to hear the vod's proposed changes to the Jedi order. "

"Changes?" Obi-wan echoed in shock.

Mace nodded. "We will be holding a meeting on the matter tomorrow. If you're feeling up to it, you are invited to attend."

Obi-wan nodded with a weighted sigh.

"They are very well organized and have already procured citizenship and equal rights for the vod in the new senate. As well as have managed to secure Mandalorian representation in this newest iteration of the Republic."

"What?"

Mace laughed at Obi-wan's buggy eyed surprise.

"Yes, it turn out, Maul was in possession of the dark saber and after he fell, our own Captain Rex somehow found himself in possession of it. He is now the subsequent leader of the Mandalorian people. His first act as Mandalor was to absorb the clones as citizens and the second was to join the republic and gain proper representation."

"Not only themselves." Vos supplied. "but Mandalor is pressuring the senate to allow the Jedi to have a senate seat."

As Obi-wan grappled with the new information, Boil stepped through the doorway with a similar hesitancy that Cody had in leaving it. "I'll be just outside, sir." He said before turning his back to the door to keep watch.

Obi-wan looked to Mace and then at Anakin, expecting answers for the vod's sudden protectiveness but none were fourth coming. In the silence of the moment Obi-wan couldn't keep a wide yawn from slipping out.

"Well, we should probably let you get some rest." Mace said to the room. "We never intended to stay long, seeing as how you have a lot of force healing yet to do."

"Wait." Obi-wan protested as he sat up quickly. The movement sending him into a disoriented dizzy spell and he gave several sluggish blinks before he sank back into the soft pillow beneath him. "How did I get the force back?" He slurred.

Mace sighed. "We will discuss this more in depth when you're more alert. In the mean time, it's good to see you, Master Kenobi." Mace smiled but Obi-wan just stubbornly frowned back. He'd been asleep from months during his force sickness recovery. He thought he was over all this sleeping nonsense.

Anakin chuckled fondly as he slipped Obi-wan's lightsaber from his slackened grasp and set it safely on the end table beside his bed. Obi-wan sighed and Anakin laughed as his master pouted openly. As Mace and Vos took their leave, Anakin sat on the edge of the bed. "There is a lot we need to tell you and now is just not the time, Master. Trust us. You should heal a bit more before..." They young knight trailed off as he fiddled with the edge of his robes.

"Anakin, I need to know." Obi-wan implored.

Anakin avoided eye contact and sucked in a deep breath through his noes. "Palpatine knew about your mission to Jakupo. It's possible he even arranged for the two sides to reconcile to draw you their."

Obi-wan eyed Anakin and for a moment let the silence stretch. Anakin kept his head down. Regretful seeped out of the boy like whisps of morning fog off a lake. It was very telling that the boy fluctuated between referring to the Sith lord as Palpatine and Sidious. It spoke of a deep rooted confusion and pain.

"Anakin," Obi-wan whispered but his former padawan didn't give the barest hint he was listening. Obi-wan gently stroked his beard as he considered all the things Anakin was likely processing. As 081-0, Obi-wan had lost track of all time, so he really had no idea how long Anakin was beside the Sith as his apprentice. That thought chilled him. How close had they all come to loosing everything, even the Jedi order? Genocide, that is what they had unknowingly faced and Anakin was used as a pawn to orchestrate everything. Not just for the dark side but the light. Perhaps this is what the prophecy had truly been about? Not a literal balance of power but to be the linchpin connecting the two? To be the balance between the dark side and the light. Anakin had likely just decided the fate of the entire universe and, knowing Anakin, he probably hadn't realized it yet.

Obi-wan's eyes swam as he realized what his padawan had likely not. "Thank you, Anakin." He whispered hoarsely.

The boys head whipped up in shock.

Obi-wan gave a warm knowing smile as Anakin continued to gape.

"Your thanking me?" He spat. "I could have, I was..." He stumbled over his words and looked away.

Obi-wan sighed. "But you didn't Padawan mine. You precariously carried the fate of the universe on your shoulders and you chose us." When Anakin said nothing Obi-wan continued. "Anakin," Obi-wan whispered. "I feel I should remind you, you have my complete trust. Your connection with the Sith lord has not shaken that from me. But I fear you are taking the blame for the actions of the Sith... Anakin, you were betrayed too. He was you mentor and confidant and turned out to be something quite sinister. But, that said, it is also ok to morn the friendship you thought you had. To morn what it should have been. The chancellor was your dear friend and now the mirage of what he was and what you shared, is gone."

Anakin slowly sat back down and put his head in his hands. "How could I not see it?"

"We all missed it. That is likely the power of the Sith."

Anakin leaned back in his seat and scowled at his words.

Obi-wan gave a rueful chuckle. "It's true. The Sith are masters of deceit and a powerful enemy. It stands to reason they would prove as threatening in practice as they do in the old legends.

Anakin nodded but this time he appeared to actually soak up the words and offered comfort.

Obi-wan felt exhaustion tug at his consciousness again but he shook himself out of it. There was no way he'd fall asleep and leave Anakin with thoughts of the Sith lord fresh in the boy's head.

"So the Jakupo peace talks were all a ruse?" Obi-wan said, clumsily navigating the topic of conversation towards something else. Despite his best intentions, a bitter twinge of resignation colored his words.

"As far as we know the peace talks were genuine. Both sides of the piece accord have continued to keep to what they mutually agreed upon during your conference with them. We don't believe the two sides knew everything, only that for once, the Sith were complicit in manipulating peace on a world, not conflict."

Obi-wan sighed as his eyes drifted closed. "That's a relief. If I had truly lost the force but Jakupo remained at peace, then it would have been worth it." But deep down he knew it wouldn't have been. An ugly selfish part of him, born of his recent trauma, had broken open and spilled everywhere inside of him. As a Jedi he should be prepared to let go, even to let go of the force but things had changed. Obi-wan was beginning to realize there were just some things he wasn't able to let go of.

"After you got sick, your condition closely matched what Jakupo and the Temple records projected to happen. But once you arrived on Coruscant, your improvement plateaued. The records said you should have been recovering the force but you weren't. As it turns out, that's because the dark side of the force was indirectly interfering with your recovery."

"Indirectly?" Obi-wan pried open his heavy lids and gathered the force around him to wake himself up. The force thankfully answered his call.

Anakin smiled knowingly as Obi-wan couldn't help a spike of excitement at being able to wheeled the force again.

"We don't believe the Sith intended to stop you from healing, but..." Anakin leaned forward as his expression turned grave. "Master, this will be hard to... what I mean is..."

Obi-wan felt the force drape a comforting weight across Anakin as the boy struggled to continue.

"Anakin, please, just tell me."

Anakin nodded and reached out to hold his master's hand as he continued. "The Jedi temple on Coruscant was built on top of an ancient Sith Temple. As long as you were on Coruscant, the dark side was able to interfere with your recovery. Now that you are away from effects of the Sith, your healers expect you will make a full recovery."

"A Sith temple?" Obi-wan echoed hollowly as he looked up at the ceiling sightlessly. "In the very heart of the Jedi order, such darkness existed? And after all this time, under our very feet and we didn't know."

Anakin gave a comforting squeeze to his hand before he spoke, his voice low and calm. "The dark side of the force has been interfering with the light side for a long time and the temple was the cause. Your lack of recovery was a side effect of being on Coruscant."

"That's why I'm on Alderann now."

"... Yes."

Tiredly, Obi-wan rolled his head to the side and for the first time in months, he was able to truly see the boy up close. Anakin's head drooped but he was still able to make out the vivid dark shadows that colored under his eyes. He looked drained, weary and broken. Very much how Obi-wan felt.

Slowly Anakin looked over and offered a sheepish, sad smile as he caught his master's concerned assessing gaze.

"How are you Anakin?" He asked.

Anakin smiled again and this time it managed to reach his eyes. "I will be alright." He assured with a nodded to himself. Obi-wan scowled as he raised a doubtful brow. In response, Anakin just smiled wider and began to explain. "What Master Windu said about the clones being well organized was an understatement. They've managed to, well." The boy positively beamed delight into the force as he continued. "I've been invited to join a clone space exploration team. Rex will be my commanding officer again and the entire 501 will be coming along. There will be a few other volunteer battalions as well. Mostly ones who lost their Jedi, like the 21st Nova Corps. Can you believe it? I'll get to act as a Jedi ambassador as we explore deep into wild space. I'll get to travel to worlds no Jedi has visited in well over a century, if they had ever visited at all!"

Obi-wan smiled despite finding out his friend and fellow council member, Ki-Adi-Mundi, had not survived order 66. "You are finally going to be the first one to see all the stars?" he teased warmly as he was reminded of a young boy from Tatooine boasting about accomplishing such an impossible task. "I'm happy for you Anakin."

"Yeah, and Ahsoka is going to be coming with. She's tentatively rejoined the Jedi as my padawan and it's going to be great." A youthful excitement seeped into his voice and his eyes lit up as he detailed his future plans. It had been such a long time since Obi-wan had seen the boy this care free, and despite how weary he looked, he positively glowed with unbridled enthusiasm. It was as though a great weight had been taken off his shoulders and a bright horizon and golden future lay ahead of him. It warmed Obi-wan deeply to see such a marked change. "You can come along if you want." Anakin continued. "The 212 can come too, but if not then we'll keep in touch. I promise, daily communication with you and the 212. Oh and I almost forgot, Padme and the kids will be coming with us!"

Obi-wan frowned. "Kids? what kids?"

"Oh um, yeah, I forgot to tell you. You're an Uncle."

%%%%%%%%%

Anakin and Obi-wan talked long into the night, healing wounds they hadn't realized had even existed. Only after Obi-wan had finally lost his fight to stay awake, did Anakin rise to leave. With one last glance at the slumbering Master, Anakin bid him sweet dreams and left.

As he did, he couldn't help but notice Cody and Boil, on either side of Obi-wan's door. They merely gave a courteous nod as he passed.

Walking down the long hall of the medical facility, Anakin knew the universe had changed. The air felt fresher, clearer as tho it had been purged and cleansed of an ancient grimy filth. The force echoed a similar feeling as it sparked crisp and alive with promise and possibility. But even without the aid of the force, Anakin could feel in his bones the future ahead was bright. He almost skipped as he excitedly went out to meet it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I think the next chapter may be the last one! I'm toying with the idea of a fluffy epilogue but the story (should/will) finish up with ch 14. Honestly, I'm ready to finish this up cause I have other stories I need to work on but... it's kind of sad. I've spent so much time making all these characters suffer and now that it's happy, it's over. But that is the life of a writer I suppose. We create a small sliver of a world and share it with others and when we finish, the world we created in our minds eye, continues without us... God, I've watched too much Toy Story. lol
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading along and trusting me to give you a happy ending, despite all the abuse I put Obi-wan through. Hope you are satisfied with the resolution. Kudos to all the readers who have read my notes at the end of the chapters too. You are all great.

**Author's Note:**

> Jakupo was created by my computer as it tried to autocorrect from Jakku. So when I was thinking up planet names, this came to mind and it just stuck... so I added it. It does not exist within Star Wars but anyone is welcome to use it as a planet.


End file.
